


Audeamus (Let Us Dare)

by guyi (yujael)



Series: Audeamus [1]
Category: Rooster Teeth Productions RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, Gavin has wings, Gen, M/M, Wings, also an insane dragon, but he is not an angel, insane evil villain, it's kind of a slow build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-29
Updated: 2013-06-24
Packaged: 2017-11-27 09:05:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 68,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/660212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yujael/pseuds/guyi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Michael, Gavin, and the mercenary group known as the Achievement Hunters went on a recent adventure to slay a dragon. Afterwards, Michael and Gavin decided to try and write their story down. </p><p>“We met, and we travelled; we saw life and we saw death. We fought many battles and we held the torch high in the face of evil. We lived, we loved, and at the end of the day, we slew the dragon.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

“ _Okay, so how do we start this thing? Do we just say hi, my name is Michael and even though you can’t see him because this is a book, this guy beside me is Gavin?”_

“ _That sounds okay.”_

“ _You don’t want to make the beginning sound more epic than that?”_

“ _We’re past the beginning now, Michael, we might as well get on with it.”_

“ _We’ll get on with it after the beginning sounds epic. Rip this page out, we’re starting again.”_

^^^^

“ _Hello. My name is Michael Jones. I’m a mercenary working with the Achievement Hunters. You’ve probably heard of us – we’re pretty well known.”_

“ _You were a delivery boy when we first met.”_

“ _Did you really have to write that?”_

“ _What? You told me to ‘tell it as it is’, and before you were working with the Achievement Hunters you were their delivery boy.”_

“ _Yeah, and they were going to learn about that in the actual first chapter, not the fucking prologue. Look, now we have to start over again.”_

“ _I think the start of that was pretty good.”_

“ _It was, before you ruined it. Don’t mess the next one up before we even introduce you.”_

^^^^

“ _Hello. My name is Michael Jones. I’m a mercenary working with the Achievement Hunters. You might have heard about us, we’re pretty well known. Or as well known as people get in these parts, but that doesn’t matter because you’ve obviously heard of us if you’re reading this._

“ _This is, as it says on the front, a… memoir, more or less. A biography. It doesn’t go my whole life (because that would be ridiculous at this point) and it’s not even entirely mine.”_

“ _It’s mine, too.”_

“ _Yes it is; my partner here is Gavin Free, and this is a book that details the recent adventure that we and the rest of the Achievement Hunters went on. And before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let me just tell all you kids with big dreams of killing dragons – not to ruin your dreams – that it is a shit tone of work and I’m not even sure half of it is worth it.”_

“ _Some of it was though, right?”_

“ _Obviously, otherwise we wouldn’t be writing this.”_

“ _We met, and we travelled; we saw life and we saw death. We fought many battles and we held the torch high in the face of evil. We lived, we loved, and at the end of the day, we slew the dragon.”_

“ _Wow, Gavin… that was kind of poetic.”_

“ _It just came to me now. I’m pretty proud of it.”_

“ _Of course you are – that there folks is the summary of our adventure. I don’t know about you, Gav, but I think it’s time to add some detail now.”_

“ _We should start when we first met.”_

“ _Exactly.”_

_)_

It was when he tripped over a tree root on the path that Michael started to get really pissed off. He didn’t see the root because he’d been too busy looking at his map, trying to navigate his way through the damn forest he was in, and now there was a big fucking tear in the paper!

He tried his best to smooth it out, and as he leaned over the dirty parchment, he cursed the weight of the package on his back. It weighed enough that it may as well have been full of rocks and it was because of that thing he couldn’t just turn around and go home.

If he didn’t deliver it, he’d never get to join the Achievement Hunters.

He bent over it; squinting like it would help him see through the dirt smudged on it (he was definitely getting a new one). Focusing on the thin lines of the paths marked there, Michael couldn’t help but feel that he’d taken a wrong turn at one of the forks. The forest was a maze, but if he kept to the north-eastern paths, he should get out in the right spot. He hadn’t even meant to come through the woods in the first place, but the road through the canyon was blocked. Someone had set up a road block and told him that it was too dangerous because beasts were rampaging.

He should have just ignored the guy and gone through the canyon – it wasn’t like he didn’t know how to use a damn sword.

\--

“ _But if you didn’t listen to him, you wouldn’t have met me, or-”_

“ _Don’t interrupt the story, Gavin, you’ll give everything away!”_

\--

As far as he could tell he’d taken all the right turns, but the paths were overgrown as hell and not even visible in some places, so it was entirely possible that he’d taken the wrong one.

He wasn’t lost, though, he just didn’t know exactly where he was.

The forest was silent for the most part (other than the fucking birds that were obviously a lot happier than he was at the moment, and leafy whistling sounds) so the sound of sticks snapping brought Michael out of his thoughts and put him on alert immediately. He froze and listened. There was nothing – nothing that he could hear anyway.

He folded up the map and put it away discreetly as he started walking again, careful and quiet. After a while, he still hadn’t heard any more noises and decided that it was probably an animal, or a beast that had thought better of trying to make a meal out of him. Figuring he was in the clear, he focused again on finding a route out of the damn woods. He pulled out his map and stared at the ink lines.

A few minutes later he heard the snapping sounds again, this time closely followed by a rustling and – creaking? – and then low growls. Definitely beasts. Michael shoved the map back in his pack – he’d fight if he had to, but he’d rather not while he had such a small space to move in. He picked up the nearest rock and hurled it in the direction of the sounds, hoping to scare off the beasts. Instead, he heard a yelp and something large fell out of the trees and landed on the ground with a loud “oof!”

Michael frowned. That sounded… human. Well, shit. He rushed through the bushes and trees as the beasts began to bark. Once he reached a tiny clearing, he stopped – getting up on hands and knees was… a bird man. It was a person with brown hair and a plain travelling outfit, and they looked up at Michael with a surprised expression, but Michael wasn’t paying as much attention to that as he was the pair of giant wings on their back.

However, he didn’t get much time to contemplate those either before three beasts came crashing into the clearing – three large creatures with red-gold eyes that resembled overgrown wolves with horns. Michael pulled his sword out just as the first beast lunged forward at the winged person.

“Fuck – get out of the way!” Michael shouted and the stranger, a man, managed to get his light green feathers out of the way before Michael swung his blade into the beast’s shoulder. It howled and he dealt it a finishing blow. 

“You owe me,” he told the winged person who was finally on his feet.

He didn’t say anything back before the other two beasts came at Michael. Michael avoided their sharp fangs, but one managed to get close enough to sink its claws in his arm – but then it didn't. It fell to the ground with a razor sharp dagger stuck in its heart. Michael turned to see the winged person, arm outstretched, empty sheath at their belt. 

“Now we’re even,” he said, and Michael didn’t know what had him thinking that the guy couldn’t talk, but he was surprised nonetheless when he spoke in a completely foreign accent.

There was only one beast left, and it was easily the biggest and ugliest of the lot. Dried blood and clumps of mud clung to its overgrown claws and its mouth may as well have been full of knives. Something that Michael didn’t want to think about was stuck to one of its horns. It wouldn’t go down easy like the others. Michael and the beast circled each other; somewhere in the background, the bird man slowly went to retrieve his dagger. Michael briefly thought about the package on his back – he’d be able to fight so much better if it wasn’t there, but there was no time to drop it. The beast was attacking.

Michael dodged its claws easily enough, but each strike with his sword barely got through its thick skin. He took a couple scratches and cuts, but he couldn’t do real good damage on the thing – which aggravated him even more. Then the winged man slashed at it with his dagger, leaving a long gash on its side, and the thing howled. Michael wanted to know what the hell that dagger was made from, but now wasn’t the time. The beast didn’t go down; it staggered, let out another loud howl and then slammed its body into the man, knocking him clean over and flinging his dagger away.

Michael cursed and began attacking it again before it killed the stranger. His sword still did little damage, but at least the beast was distracted. The man on the ground slowly picked himself up – too slowly, the beast stunned him and could easily kill him if he got back into the fight. Michael weighed his choices – there weren’t many, and running definitely wasn’t an option. How could he train to join the Achievement Hunters and leave someone else to die?

He braced himself – the beast’s weak spot was its belly and the only way to get to it was to attack it… while it was attacking him. It was going to hurt like a motherfucker.

The winged man was stumbling toward his dagger as Michael waited for his chance. Then, as the beast made a swipe at him, he lunged, driving his sword under its chest as its claws dug painfully into his right shoulder. He shouted, cursing as pain ripped through his arm, and the beast fell down, dead with his sword stuck in its chest.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck a duck in a dragon,” Michael went down to one knee, clutching his shoulder and trying to stem the flow of blood gushing down his arm. He grit his teeth against the pain, trying to catch his breath. A few seconds later, the stranger with wings seemed to regain his balance. 

“Shit,” he breathed, accent still obvious in one word. He approached Michael, dagger retrieved. “Are you all right?”

“Do I look okay?” Michael snapped, grimacing. The stranger only looked slightly taken aback.

“Easy, don’t bite my head off,” he said, kneeling next to Michael. “Just wondering if you’re on the verge of death or anything.”

He acted calm, but Michael could tell that he was nervous, hiding panic. “My bag, in my bag,” he said, “there are bandages and shit, get them. On the side.”

“Are you sure this will be enough?” the man asked, sounding worried as he drew out Michael’s medical supplies. They weren’t much, Michael didn’t expect to be fighting many wolf beasts.

“It’s enough,” he said, snatching the supplies and beginning to clean the wound. The man watched quietly, obviously unconvinced of Michael’s statement and helping to wrap the bandages around his shoulder.

“There are more beasts like that in these woods,” the man finally said, giving Michael a concerned look. Behind him, his wings, an array of different shades of green, would be tense for a few seconds and then they would tremble. Tense, shake, tense, shake; his face masked most of his worry, but his wings gave him away. “You don’t look like you can fight too well if you run into any more.”

Michael managed a chuckle. His shoulder hurt like a bitch, making breathing a pain. “Are you offering to do something about that?”

The stranger blinked a couple times, then glanced around the area. There was nothing but the three beast carcasses, one of which still had Michael’s sword stuck in it. He looked up at the sky through the canopy of leaves. It wasn’t that far in the afternoon.

“There’s a village,” he said, leaning in slightly and speaking quieter. “It’s deeper in the forest, but they’re used to dealing with those beasts and injuries like that.”

Michael frowned. A village? Here? “How far?”

“Pretty far on foot, but we can make it by nightfall. They can give you the medical supplies you need to treat your wound properly.”

“I didn’t know there was a village here,” Michael told him. “It’s not-”

“It’s not on most maps, I know,” the man said. “It’s… a precaution.”

Michael watched him carefully. If he had to take a guess, he’d say that the man was offering to lead Michael to his village (which may or may not actually exist) in exchange for helping him against the beasts. Either that or he was trying to lead Michael into some death trap. He couldn’t be sure; he’d never met a person with wings – what was this person anyway? Whatever he was, he hadn’t done anything untrustworthy in the last five minutes.

“I don’t want to just leave you here,” the man continued, though no doubt he could leave Michael in the dust with those wings of his. “I owe you for that fight.”

His suspicions confirmed, Michael weighed his options again. He wanted to deliver the package as fast as possible, but there was still the distinct possibility that he was lost. Not to mention he still had at least a week of travelling left and he had nowhere near the amount of medical supplies he needed to keep his wound healthy. And there was also – he cut his own thoughts off. The odds were stacked against him if he didn’t go to this mysterious village with this winged stranger.

He nodded and slowly stood up. “All right,” he said, wincing as he pulled his sword out of the beast’s ribcage. He wiped the blood away, sheathed it, and then paused to regain his balance. “Okay, let’s go then…”

“My name’s Gavin,” the winged man said. It wouldn’t have been a lie if Michael said that he expected something a little more… elegant, but Gavin suited him nonetheless. 

“Michael. Lead the way then, Gavin.” 

Gavin nodded and pointed in the direction of the path.

“It’s easier if we just take the paths. Too many beasts running around everywhere else. You can lean on me if you need to, I don’t mind…”

_)_

“ _I probably wouldn’t have felt like I owed you so much if you hadn’t thrown that rock at me.”_

“ _Hey, it’s not like I knew you were in that exact spot. And besides, would you still have come out of the tree if those beasts had attacked me first?”_

“ _Probably… So the outcome would have been the same, wouldn’t it?”_

“ _Yep.”_


	2. Ad Lucem

“ _You know, Geoff so owes me for this part of the story.”_

“ _Why’s that?”_

“ _I won’t say too much and give it away, but he probably wouldn’t have a certain somebody if it wasn’t for me.”_

“ _In that case, doesn’t he owe me more, because I’m the one that brought you to the village in the first place?”_

“ _Yeah, but only because I had to save your ass.”_

“ _You wouldn’t have met me either if he hadn’t sent you on that mission… Hold up…”_

“ _God damn, so Geoff owes_ himself _? Okay, never mind. I still don’t like this part.”_

“ _Was it that bad?”_

“ _Yes. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating. For those reading, we’re skipping on ahead to the next important event – the village in the middle of a murderous forest otherwise known as-“_

“ _Ad Lucem. The name’s a play on the fact that it’s a very relaxing place.”_

“ _Not for me it wasn’t.”_

“ _They apologized for that, you know. It was just a misunderstanding. Come on, you have to admit they’re nice.”_

“ _Yeah, okay, maybe some of them. Dan and Griffon are pretty cool, I will say that.”_

_)_

By the time they got to the village, it was past nightfall by at least an hour and Michael had been leaning on Gavin’s shoulder since the sun set. Anyone would be tired, but his shoulder also hurt even more than it did before. He didn’t even care that they seemed to have stumbled over every possible rock and root on the path, it wouldn’t compare to the throb in his shoulder. 

Despite the stumbling and falling however, Gavin seemed to know exactly where they were going, and eventually the path became lit by a set of lamps on either side. 

“We’re here,” Gavin told him, patting his uninjured shoulder. “Almost there, now.”

“Here” meant there was a bed, and also proper medical supplies, so that was all Michael had cared about at that point. That was probably why, as soon as they came to another set of lamps, Michael promptly passed out. It was probably rude to the person whom he’d been leaning on, but he was an injured delivery boy, not someone well known for manners. 

\--

“ _I was injured, too, you know.”_

“ _But I didn’t know that at the time. Are we ever going to get more than three paragraphs without an interruption?”_

\--

He woke up on a bed, and when he could form coherent thoughts, he guessed that he’d also gotten some medical attention, because his shoulder hurt much less than it did before. Actually, it didn’t hurt at all. Still groggy and tired, Michael opened his eyes slightly and tried to figure out where he was. As far as he could tell he was in a wooden house, so he was inside the village after all. He propped himself up on one elbow, but that was as far as he got before someone placed a hand on his chest and pushed him back onto the bed.

“I wouldn’t get up if I were you.” A woman sat on a stool next to him with a book in one hand. She could have been the average blonde haired lady, but a pair of wings rose up and arched gracefully over her head with feathers of gold and brown. So Gavin wasn’t the only one… Seriously, he thought; who are these people? Did they all have wings and weird accents? “It’s nice to know you’re awake, but the chances you can walk in a straight line right now are pretty slim.”

“Why’s that?” Michael asked after swallowing a couple times. His throat felt like he’s just eaten sand. 

The woman leaned away from him and opened her book. “Because you’re souped up on a whole bottle of green oak syrup. In other words, there’s so much medicine in your body right now that you’d walk into the door frame ten times before you managed to get through it. That was one hell of an injury you took. I’m almost surprised you came out alive.”

“I had some help,” Michael said. He remembered how weak his sword was compared to those beasts, and then how sharp Gavin’s dagger was to be able to pierce the beast’s flesh so easily.

“We know,” the woman replied, glancing up from her page. “Gavin gave us his side of the story.”

His side of the story? What, did she want him to go over what happened, too? 

“But we’ll talk about that later,” the woman continued. “When you’ve healed up a bit more. Go back to sleep, I don’t reckon it’ll be too hard.”

She was kind of sassy. Michael liked that that. He relaxed against the pillow again and closed his eyes. He breathed deeply for a while, trying to see if he could feel even the slightest bit of pain. For the most part, his shoulder was numb and before he knew it, he was asleep again.

_)_

Michael had no idea how long he was out. He drifted in and out of consciousness, and each time the woman was still on the stood next to him, reading a book or grooming her feathers. Eventually though, he stayed awake for more than a few minutes and she might have taken this as a cue that he’d rested enough. 

“It’s been almost a couple days now,” she told him, handing him pillows and helping him sit up. “So not only are you no longer on the verge of death, you’re probably hungry as well.”

“Yes, I am,” Michael said. Placed on another stool beside her was a tray of food, which she handed to him. For a few minutes she just watched him eat – because damn, he was starving – and then she closed her book. Michael had the sudden feeling they were going to have a more important chat than they did two days ago. 

“Gavin brought you to the village, correct?” She asked. Michael nodded. “After an encounter with some beasts in the woods?”

“Yeah – is that not allowed or something? Is Gavin in trouble for that?”

Her one second of silence said more than a second of silence should have said (considering it was a second of silence, after all). “He explained what happened from his own perspective, and before we can let you go, we just need a confirmation from you.”

“’Before you can let me go?’” Michael frowned. She obviously didn’t word it that way for any old reason. 

“Yes. Just to prove you aren’t a threat of any kind and so we don’t have to detain you for longer than necessary.”

“Wait, so basically you’re saying that I’m being imprisoned right now?” The words were like ice on Michael’s tongue. He was hardly even awake for the last couple days and he’d somehow broken a law? How the hell did that work? “Fuck – why?”

The woman with brown and gold wings was much better at keeping a straight face than he was. “Because until you can prove otherwise, you are a suspicious character. So, you’ve got two choices – cooperate or don’t cooperate. If you choose not to, then you’ll have to leave the village.”

“Without any medical things or anything, I’m guessing?” Michael finished for her. She nodded once. He didn’t like the sound of that idea – if he left the village now, he’s be at a huge disadvantage. He was still injured and he wouldn’t have enough bandages to last more than the week it would take now to deliver his package – shit, the package; what happened to it? – and if he ran into any more beasts like the one before, he’d be done for.

“Exactly. It’s a whole lot easier to just cooperate, especially if your story coincides with Gavin’s.”

“And until then, I’m stuck here?”

“I’d say you’re on house arrest, but you don’t live here,” the woman said with just the barest hint of amusement. God damn, the snarky bitch. 

“Well then – do I just tell you everything I know or something?” Michael shifted slightly in the bed, already gathering his thoughts. He didn’t want to be held captive for longer that strictly necessary. But the woman shook her head.

“Not to me, to the Chief – and before you get too far ahead of yourself,” she held up a hand to stop him before he could speak. “I’m not just supervising you because you’re technically a prisoner. I’m also looking after your recovery, and I take my job seriously. You can go see the Chief, but not until the worst of your wound is healed.”

Michael stared at her. He wasn’t exactly sure what to think of her – he’d only had two conversations with her and he could already tell she was tough, though. He wasn’t about to doubt that she took her job seriously, whether it be nursing or prison guarding. Not to mention that she was threatening him and making sure he stayed alive at the same time. There was a collection of bottles of all shapes and sizes on a shelf behind her, and if one of them was dangerous (they all looked rather suspicious), she literally held his life in her hands. Finally, he nodded stiffly.

“Lovely,” she smiled and reached for the empty tray on his lap. The sleeve of her shirt left her wrists uncovered and Michael caught the beginning of one or two tattoos winding up her arm. She stood up and made for the door across the room. She turned to face him again there. “The name’s Griffon, by the way.”

It wasn’t any more elegant than Gavin was, but it still suited her just as well. Tough, snarky, and tattooed; definitely sounds like a Griffon. “Michael.”

She smirked at him. “I know that.”

_)_

He couldn’t help but feel angry. He was free to go, but only for a price and the fact that these people were exploiting that was the worst part of it. He also couldn’t actually let this anger out on Griffon, because despite the fact that she was guarding him, she was also a damn good doctor. So instead, he directed his feelings at Gavin, wherever he was.

He saved Gavin’s feathered ass and what did he get for it? House arrest. And what the hell happened to the package he was supposed to be delivering?

“We didn’t open it or anything,” Griffon told him when he asked. “It’s somewhere safe along with the rest of your things, you don’t have to worry about it.”

That didn’t really help him, but knowing that he didn’t completely fuck up his mission yet was slightly calming. 

He stayed in that room for two days, laying in bed or walking around the room when Griffon deemed him able to. She changed his bandages every few hours and asked him about being in the postal service, probably for the sake of killing time. There was nothing to do except talk, so he told her that he wasn’t actually in the postal service; he was training to join a mercenary group and their leader, a man by the name of Geoff, had sent him on the mission to deliver the package to a friend of his named Burnie Burns. He wasn’t sure if she was chuckling at the man’s name or his situation in general. 

He told her a bit about the Achievement Hunters, too. He told her a bit about every member he’d met and the other missions they’d already sent him on (mostly to fetch things). He told her about how Geoff’s arms were covered in tattoos, too. They could compare or something if they ever met.

He was reading the labels of the bottles on the self, trying to see if he could determine which ones were more dangerous than others, when Griffon tapped his bandaged shoulder.

“Did you feel that?”

Michael shrugged. “Yeah, but it didn’t hurt that much. Why?”

“It means my job playing nurse is just about done,” she explained and nodded toward the door. “How about going for a walk?”

“You mean I actually get to leave the room?”

“Yes, you’re going to see the Chief later today. The worst of your wound is healed up now, all that’s left is for the shallower laceration to knit itself together.”

Michael wasn’t sure if “laceration” was enough to describe the gashes left by the beast, but we wasn’t about the question her words. He pulled his boots on and followed her out of the room into a hallway with doors leading to rooms similar to the one he was just in. At the end of the hall was what looked to be a foyer where a soft breeze flowed, and she stopped and turned to him there.

“For the last few days you’ve been in our medical building,” she said. “We’ve had to expand recently – the beasts in the woods, as you probably noticed, are incredibly violent. They’ve been getting more and more so for the last month or so now. People have been getting more injuries from them than normal.”

She took a few seconds to look up at the ceiling at an open skylight, where the breeze was coming inside. Michael looked too – there was no glass in it and it was more than big enough for Griffon to fit through if she had to. Was it some aerial entrance to the building? Was she waiting for someone?

“And… what does that have to do with me?” Michael asked. Her eyes returned to him.

“Not much, other than you’re one of the injured. We’re going to go outside, and in a couple minutes we’ll be in the village proper. Come on.”

They stepped out onto a thin path surrounded by trees and shrubs. She told him to watch his step as they walked, and the path slowly got wider and wider until they arrived at what Michael guessed to be the village proper. It looked like the market square from back home, he thought; the only differences were that he was in the middle of a forest and every single person he saw had a pair of wings on their back. They stared at him warily as he and Griffon passed, and it was all he could do to not stare back too long. A woman there had smooth violet feathers while a man over there had red and orange wings. No pair was the same except for those of the children weaving around the adults’ legs. All their wings were pure white. Some nodded to Griffon and she waved back. However, the children hid from him and some of their parents actually glared.

“This is our home,” she said as they left the square. “Welcome to Ad Lucem.”

Michael had never heard the name before, but it sounded like a completely different language to begin with. “Is there a reason they all look like they want to roast me alive?”

“Forgive them their manners,” she replied. “You’d act like that too if you were them.”

“Why’s that?”

“The Chief will explain it to you later.”

She paused to read a couple signs posted on a tree trunk and Michael stared at them. The letters carved there were similar to what he knew, but the signs might as well have been a picture of a fish for all he could understand from them. Griffon understood them perfectly though, and she continued on. She led him through more of the village, pointing out where they went to fish or find berries as they went. Finally, she turned to a small cabin with little pieces of metal glinting on the porch. Or maybe they were wind chimes – every breeze coaxed jingling sounds from them. 

“Gavin likes to scavenge things and make trinkets with them,” she explained when she caught him staring. 

“Gavin made these?” Michael counted them out – there were at least twenty and some of them even appeared to be hanging from the skylight in the roof. “This is Gavin’s house?” 

“Partly,” she nodded. “But nobody owns a house all on their own – we generally dislike being on our own.” 

She knocked a couple times on the door but didn’t wait for answer before entering. Michael entered after her and the first thing he saw was Gavin sitting at a table in the middle of the room, bent over something he was tinkering with. His back was turned to him, and the longest of his feathers were spread out over the floor where he sat. He looked over his shoulder when they entered and smiled.

“Hello, Griffon!” He said jovially, turning in his seat. “Oh, and Michael! I was starting to get really worried, you know, you were out for a while.”

Michael resisted the urge to come right out and call him an ass. The fact that he was grinning like an idiot wasn’t making it any easier. People here already seemed to hate him for some reason, how come Gavin got to be so happy? Instead he shrugged and said, “Griffon figured it was time for me to get some air, so here I am.”

“I figured you guys would want to talk,” Griffon said. She stepped back through the door. “I’ll come get you later, Michael.”

Gavin seemed to sense that Michael was angry; as soon as Griffon closed the door, his smile slipped away and he looked at bit worried. “Er – how are you Michael?”

Michael let his brow fall in a heavy frown to show just how unimpressed he was. “Why didn’t you tell me they were going to _imprison_ me?”

“Okay, okay,” Gavin stood up quickly, knocking one of his wings against the table behind him. “I’m really sorry about that, Michael. I didn’t know they were going to do that.”

“Really? I gotta say, Gavin, they didn’t look too happy to see me out and about. I swear some of those people looked like they wanted to come out and break my legs or something. Fucking roast me over a fire and scatter my bones for the wolves.”

Gavin looked almost sheepish. “Listen, I know it seems bad, but no matter how much it looks like they want to kill you, they won’t.”

“I’m supposed to go talk to your head honcho later, you know. What if your chief person doesn’t believe me? What the hell did I _do_ anyway?”

Gavin took a few seconds to think. Then he sat down again. “Okay, I’ll tell you basically what I know. You probably figured this out, but this village is kind of made up of a bunch of isolationists. We don’t get much contact with people outside the woods.”

“No shit, you’re not even on the map.”

“Yeah, that’s to keep us hidden. But about a month ago, a bit more maybe, we got a visitor in the village. It was a human, a little older than you, I think. I don’t know, I never saw him. A lot of people didn’t really see him, apparently he always had a cloak on. Anyway, he went and talked to the Chief for a while, said he wanted something, or help to do something. But the Chief refused, and he got angry. There was a fight, and some people were hurt – we didn’t manage to kill him, though as far as I know he was pretty badly injured when he left. When he left, he was just throwing curses around and everything, saying the village would burn and we’d all die and he’d get his revenge at some point.”

Michael thought about the story, and the first conclusion he came to was _superstitious bullshit_. “So, what now? You guys are suspicious of every other human that comes through here?”

“Think about it from our perspective,” Gavin pleaded, still looking nervous. “Ever since then, the beasts around here have just been getting more and more violent, and we’ve even seems some species that we’ve never seen in the forest before. It’s starting to get really out of hand. We’ve sent messages for help from our sister clan, but we’re not even sure they’re getting through… Nobody’s come back yet.”

 _Nobody’s come back yet_. Okay. If there were any words in that story that Michael could related to, it was those. He looked away, let the words sink in. So, this village had a bad encounter with some bastard. They’re in danger now; calling for help and not getting any. Along comes another human… Yeah, Griffon had a point. He’d be kind of scared, too. 

“Basically they think I’m in league with that guy.”

Gavin nodded. “Yeah, but all you have to do to get off is just tell the Chief that you were only passing through. I’ve already told her my part of the story. Just say you were passing through, got lost, met me, helped me fight some beasts, and it’ll be okay.”

“What if she doesn’t believe me?”

“She will. And besides, if some people disagree with you, they’re still not going to kill you or leave you for the beasts.”

“How do you know that?”

Gavin smiled. “Because you saved my life, Michael. Sure, we look like a bunch of superstitious isolationists at first, but if there’s one thing we take really seriously, it’s honour. Life debt. You saved my life, and I owe you for that. They won’t kill you.”

Well then. Michael thought about bringing up the fact that Gavin all but carried him to the village, but he didn’t want to push his luck. However Gavin had told the story, it ensured that he would live. “Why didn’t you at least warn me beforehand?”

“Because I thought it’d be enough if I just explained what happened. I really am sorry.”

“It’s fine, I guess…” Michael trailed off, not sure what to say anymore. 

“Why don’t you sit down while you wait for Griffon to come back?” Gavin asked, gesturing to one of the other chairs at his table. “I don’t think people would appreciate you wandering around alone.”

“When did I say I was going?” Michael said, but he sat down anyway. In the middle of the table there were piles of string and bits of metals. “What are you doing with these things anyway?”

“Just… making stuff,” Gavin said, expression sheepish again. “I was uh… out looking for things when I found you.”

“’Found’ me? You were following me, weren’t you?” Michael thought back to the sounds of snapping twigs he’d heard. He’d bet that was Gavin. 

“I was curious! I’ve never met any other humans. We don’t get many visitors.”

“I wonder _why_.”

“Shut up,” Gavin pierced a circular bit of metal with a needle and strung it on a wire with others similar in shape. Behind him, it almost looked like his wings were moving of their own volition, shifting and relaxing so that the longest feathers spread along the floorboards again. Michael wondered if it was tiring to hold them above the ground all the time.

“Sometimes,” Gavin said. “Wouldn’t it get tiring to hold your arms above your head all the time?”

“Shit, did I say that out loud?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Gavin was grinning like he’d won some argument they’d been having. 

Michael was getting really curious though. The only people like Gavin he’d ever seen were cute little drawings of angels in books. Now there was a whole village of winged people who definitely didn’t have fluffy white wings all the time. One of them sat right in front of him with wings made up of at least four different shades of green. 

“Seriously though, what…” Gavin looked up at him when he trailed off again. “What are you guys, some kind of angel?”

Gavin snorted. “What? No. Only the kids here have white wings, and they start getting colour when they’re about ten. No, we’re _Alati_.”

Okay, that was definitely not any language Michael had ever heard. He figured that they were the only ones who spoke it. “Allotee?”

“No – _Alati_ ,” Gavin repeated, emphasizing it. “You’ve never heard the name?”

Michael shook his head. “No. And considering nobody even knows you’re here, I’m not surprised.”

“Some people know we’re here,” Gavin said. “I mean, other than our sister clan. I bet you’ve never seen them on a map, either.”

“Where are they?”

Gavin didn’t reply. He strung a couple more grey disks onto his string and then got up. “I’ll show you one of my maps.” There were a couple shelves behind Michael and he reached up and took down a roll of parchment as long as his arm. He pushed the piles of metal and string aside and laid it out on the table, using the heavier bits of metal as paper weights. 

“Here’s where we are,” Gavin pointed to the forest near the south-western tip of the continent. Marked very clearly in it was a dot labelled _Ad Lucem_. He dragged his finger over the mountain range that surrounded the south-western edge of the forest and extended along the south of the continent. “I think your maps lack detail along the range here.”

“Yeah, there’s pretty much nothing there,” Michael said, but as he looked at the map, he saw four small drawings of tiny gates in the mountains. Also written in bold lettering over the whole range were the words _Hic Sunt Dracones_. “What do those words mean?”

“’Here there are dragons’,” Gavin replied gravely. He pointed to another dot beyond the mountain range, on the southernmost tip of the continent. It was labelled _Ad Astra_. “That’s where our sister clan is. To get there you have to go over the mountains, but…”

“Are there actually dragons there?”

“Oh, there are dragons, but we don’t know that it’s them causing the problem. We’re considering sending a party to check on the gates, but nobody will go alone anymore.”

Michael’s eyes wandered over the map. It was only of their continent, but it had more detail than any of his did. He recognized some of the markings, but it was all labelled in a different language, and the only words he knew were “here there are dragons”. He wondered how many messengers had been sent over the mountains. Then he remembered the story about the man who left the village cursing. 

_Superstitious bullshit_ , he reminded himself. He leaned away from the map; he had questions, a lot of them, but then he heard a loud noise like – wings flapping. He didn’t have time to say anything before another person dropped into the room through the open sky light in a flurry of red, brown and orange feathers.

“Still here, B?” The person asked, folding their wings behind them. Michael gripped the table out of surprise and Gavin grinned. Michael leaned away from the person. Gavin was taller than him by a couple inches, but this guy was even taller than his green feathered friend.

“Sorry – I was chatting with Michael while he waited for Griffon to come back,” Gavin explained. He turned to Michael, still smiling. The _Alati_ behind him gave him a half wary look. “Michael, this is my friend Dan.”

“You’re that human Gavin brought in, huh?” Dan asked. Michael thought they might have some confrontation, but then Dan smiled. He approached in two long strides and held his hand out. “Nice to meet the guy who saved my best friend’s life.”

Michael didn’t know if he was supposed to feel more relieved or scared. He shook Dan’s hand, “It’s nice to meet you too. You’re one of the only people I’ve seen so far that doesn’t look like you want to roast me over a fire.”

Dan laughed and Michael found himself relaxing instead of getting more scared. “Gav got home safe and sound because of you, can’t really be mad about that.” 

“Oh, I thought – never mind. Are you going somewhere?”

“Soon, yeah,” Gavin replied. “And not just to go collect bits of string this time.”

“We might have to send Michael out with you if you did,” came Griffon’s voice from the door. “Sorry if I took too long. It’s time to go see the Chief now, Michael.” 

Michael suddenly remembered what he was here for in the first place. He stood up and nodded to Gavin and Dan. They returned the gesture and Gavin muttered, “good luck,” as he followed Griffon from the house. 

“You don’t have to be so stiff,” Griffon told him as she led him to the chief’s cabin. “You’re just going to see the Chief, not an Imperial Judge.” 

_)_

“ _Did it really make you that nervous?”_

“ _I was going to see your chief, Gavin, your head honcho. Leader of the whole damn village. Of course I was nervous! This was before I became a badass mercenary, you know. Delivery guys aren’t known for getting caught up in that kind of shit.”_

“ _I guess I see your point. But the chief was nice, wasn’t she?”_

“ _I wouldn’t say ‘nice’… More like… strategic. What the hell are you laughing at?”_

“ _Sorry. This was a while ago now. I forgot that you were so scared of Dan.”_

“ _I wasn’t_ scared _of him! I could have taken him if I needed to, but it wasn’t like I was going to beat up your best friend.”_

“ _I saw your face when he came in – you were so scared.”_

“ _I was surprised. There’s a difference. I did not expect someone to just drop in from the god damn ceiling.”_

“ _What else did you think the gaps were there for?”_

“ _Never mind that.”_


	3. Escort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Michael takes on a second mission from the chief.

It would have been easier to get to the Chief’s house if there had been a ladder, or if it had actually been on the ground. Michael discovered that the deeper they went into Ad Lucem, the higher the houses got off the ground until they resembled every human child’s dream tree house. Griffon stopped and waited for him to catch up next to a massive tree – its trunk was more than three times as wide as he could stretch his arm, and its branches disappeared above the surrounding trees.

“Sorry that there’s no ladder,” she said as he craned his neck back, wondering how the hell he was supposed to get up.

“So how do I get up? Do you expect me to climb?” Michael gestured at his still bandaged arm.

“Of course not,” Griffon shook her head as another winged figure dropped out of the foliage and landed next to Michael. “We’re going to have to fly you up.”

“What?” The man next to Michael took his arm and Griffon took the other, careful not to avoid holding his bandaged shoulder. Before he could get much of a protest out, it was swallowed by a surprised “holy shit!” as his feet suddenly left the ground.

“Don’t worry, we’re not going to drop you,” Griffon said, their powerful wings lifting him higher and higher. His entire body tensed up anyway – not that he was scared of heights or anything, but damn it, he’d like a little more warning next time; he wasn’t exactly made for flying. 

He’d say they flew up at least half the tree before they dropped him off at was best described as a boardwalk. Planks of wood made up a walkway that connected three cabins, all held by the trees thick branches. There were a few more Alati here and there, watching them.

“Let’s go, then,” Griffon walked ahead again and led him into the nearest of the three. Several small lamps lit the inside where four Alati were talking quietly to each other, discussing something in their foreign language. When he and Griffon entered they looked up, and without a word from any one, three of the Alati left the room through another door.

The remaining Alati was a tall woman with beige and teal feathers. She gave Michael a long, unblinking stare like she was sizing him up, boring holes into his skull with unusually bright blue eyes. It was only broken by a nod to Griffon, who was still standing by the door.

“So you’re the human, Michael?” She asked in a voice deeper than he expected. He nodded and she gestured to one of the stools in front of her. “Have a seat, then.”

Michael suddenly had the feeling he was being tested somehow. “I swear I’m not here to threaten anything or anyone,” he said as he sat down. Griffon remained by the door. “I was just passing through the edge of the forest.”

“Go on,” the Chief prompted as she perched on her own stool.

“I’m just a delivery guy,” he explained, which wasn’t really accurate. “Actually, I’m training to join this mercenary group and they sent me on this mission to deliver a package to Vegas, which is, uh – north of here. I got lost and ran into Gavin. He was surrounded by beasts so I helped him out; one of them ripped up my shoulder and he brought me here. That’s pretty much it.”

The woman nodded, but she didn’t seem happy or unsatisfied. “But why did you decide to come through the forest in the first place? To my knowledge there is a much more convenient road through the canyon.”

“Er – there is, but it was blocked. I was told that there were beasts rampaging around there and only specific people could get through the road block.”

The Chief actually showed some emotion on her face; interest. “Beasts rampaging in the canyon you say? That’s very unusual. Can you tell me who gave you this information?”

Michael thought back to when he had to make the choice between going home and going through the forest. At the time he didn’t find anything unusual about his conversation with the stranger in the middle of the road; he figured it was just a man like him wearing a cloak to stay warm and dry. Now, as he tried to recall the man’s face, he thought about Gavin’s story. _Superstitious bullshit,_ he reminded himself; but he’d be lying if he said the coincidence didn’t put him on edge.

“I didn’t see his face,” he answered. “He was wearing a cloak.”

The Chief nodded. She was silent for a moment, turning her eyes to the ceiling for a moment before they were back on him. “I believe you’re telling the truth – your story matches Gavin’s.”

“So does that mean I can go?”

“Allow me a moment,” she said, waving for him to stay seated. She turned slightly and called over her shoulder. The three Alati who’s left returned and they started to speak to each other again. Michael checked behind him; Griffon was leaning near the door. She shrugged; apparently there was nothing for him to worry about.

“Michael,” his attention snapped back to the chief. She looked marginally less emotionless than she did before. “Would you be willing to take on another mission? It would not interfere with your current one.”

“Uh…” Not the most intelligent sentence starter, but seriously? After the last four days the woman was asking him to do her a favour? “That depends on what it is.”

“No doubt you’ve realized just how violent the beasts in the woods have become,” she said, gesturing to one of her companions with his arm in a sling. “It’s a problem of increasing concern that we have had to deal with; more often than not we find our friends injured or killed by them. It’s beginning to get out of hand. There is another clan of Alati beyond the mountains and we have sent several messengers for aid, none of whom have returned. As such, we are running out of options.”

“What’s that have to do with me?” Michael asked as she looked over him again like she was waiting for his opinion. 

“We are going to send another messenger, but not to the mountains. We cannot gain contact with our brothers, so we must look elsewhere. We want to send another messenger to Vegas.”

“Vegas?”

“Not everyone is ignorant of our existence,” she said with a small smirk pulling at the corner of her lips. “Your destination is also Vegas; we would like you to escort our envoy.”

“Why should I do that?” He asked stubbornly, thinking about the four days Griffon had acted as his “prison guard”. 

“You said you are training to become a mercenary, didn’t you? Bounty hunting, deliveries in your case, protecting, escorting, isn’t that the gist of it?” Michael knew what she was getting at before she said it. “Wouldn’t it be beneficial for you to take this mission?”

Michael nodded – not only was she right, but he actually liked the idea of being able to return to Austin and tell them that he did two missions instead of just one. He was wondering if they’d believe him when something else occurred to him. “Wait, why doesn’t he just fly there? Why does he need an escort?”

“Because,” Griffon piped up. He turned to see she’d finally stepped away from the door. “If Gavin tried to fly all the way there right now, I’d lop his wings off.”

“Gavin? He’s going to be your messenger – why can’t he fly?”

“One of his wings was injured when you two were fighting those beasts,” Griffon informed him. “It isn’t broken, but he still can’t fly over large distances and we don’t want him wandering around alone.”

“Why don’t you send someone else then?”

“Gavin is a wanderer,” the chief replied. “He’s gone farther from the forest than others would dare. He knows the land better.”

Somebody outside knocked on the door and Griffon opened it; Gavin and Dan stood on the other side. Gavin smiled and waved at Michael as they entered.

“Hi, Michael!”

Michael stood up to face him. “Hey, why didn’t you tell me you were injured?”

Gavin looked confused for half a second. “It’s nothing big. Not like your shoulder there. It’s… it’s like if you had a sprained ankle, that’s all.”

“But you’re still not flying anywhere,” Griffon told him in a serious tone.

“I know!” Gavin exclaimed. “You don’t have to keep telling me!”

“I take my job seriously,” she replied, arms crossed. Over the past few days Michael had come to think that she didn’t even need to say it; her tone said it all. Then she turned back to him. “So? Will you do it? Gavin knows how to fight if you run into anything nasty.” Michael was reminded of the deadly sharp dagger that appeared to be at Gavin’s side again. “And you can make sure he doesn’t go in over his head. Or fly around like an idiot.”

Michael looked around at the faces in the room. The Chief still seemed kind of bored and her companions might have been a bit hopeful. So was Gavin. Dan smiled encouragingly Well, they were both going to Vegas, weren’t they? And he could get the added bonus of doing two missions at once.

“All right then,” he said. “I guess I’m an escort.”

The Chief actually smiled for the first time.”

_)_

“ _You’re exaggerating again.”_

“ _I am not exaggerating. That woman was cold. She was nice, she didn’t look like she wanted to push me out of the tree and flatten me on the ground, but she was cold.”_

“ _It was a stressful time – she just wanted to make sure that she wasn’t going to send you off with supplies just so that you could fap around.”_

“ _I got the message – you do not mess with that lady.”_

_)_

Instead of going back down to the ground, they brought Michael to one of the other cabins to change the bandages on his shoulder for the last time before they left the village. Gavin turned his back to talk to Dan and Michael squinted at his wings – they both dipped down slightly before rising again, but his left wing seemed to droop farther than its twin. Maybe that’s why he had them relaxed all over the floor earlier.

“I didn’t even notice,” he mused. Gavin looked over his shoulder and caught him staring.

“You just didn’t know what to look for. Seriously, it’s nothing to worry about, we’ll still get on fine.”

“We have your things here as well,” Griffon added, “your supplies and your package, all undamaged. Heavy as hell, though.”

“I know, I’ve had to carry it on my back the whole time.” As they spoke, Dan went into the small room at the side and came back with Michael’s bag over his shoulder and the package in his hands. 

“What’s in it?” Gavin asked curiously. When it looked like he might make a move for it Michael slapped his hand away.

“Hell if I know, but that’s the first rule; whatever it is is between the sender and the receiver. Don’t mess with it.”

“You’re very protective of your box.”

“Of course I am – this box is my ticket up.”

“With… with just a box?”

_)_

“ _Before we even got out of the woods you were clueless about everything.”_

“ _That was before you told me about the Achievement Hunters! I didn’t know what it was for; all I knew was that you were passing through on your way somewhere else.”_

“ _Okay, you have an excuse for that, but let me tell you readers – it gets worse right off the bat. You’re going to love it; you’ll see what happens when you live twenty four solid years in a forest.”_

“ _Hey, I’d been out of the forest before then, I went to the Rose Gate before it was even a Gate!”_

“ _Okay, you’ve been to the gates_ twice _. That doesn’t count, and the Rose Gate isn’t even official, it’s just something Ray made up, and – damn it, you’re giving away spoilers again!”_

“ _No I’m not!”_

“ _Just rip this page out…”_

^^^^


	4. Road to Vegas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin is terrible at keeping secrets.

“ _Now here’s where our story really starts. The introductions are over and we are finally out of the woods. Moving on. Our next important event is the city of Vegas, about nine days travel from Ad Lucem. I’ll warn you all now – stupid shit abounds from all directions, and not just from Gavin.”_

“ _Hey, does it count as spoiling when you’re foreshadowing?”_

“ _It’s only foreshadowing if you do it right. You can’t just come right out with it, you have to be sneakier about it.”_

“ _How are you supposed to be ‘sneaky’ about it? You can’t just mention something and then not say anything about it.”_

“ _No – that’s exactly what you do! If you’re going to do foreshadowing, the more mysterious, the less they know, the better.”_

“ _Then why say anything at all?”_

“ _Because then it would be fucking_ boring. _We have to spice it up somehow. But I don’t recommend you do it.”_

“ _Why not? I can do foreshadowing.”_

“ _No, you can’t. You’re doing a horrible job of it right now.”_

“ _I’m foreshadowing right now?”_

“ _Just stop writing right now and let’s get on with the story.”_

_)_

They left the village a bit before midday. Dan accompanied them for a bit of the way, entertaining them with a story about how he and another friend went fishing and mysteriously “lost” six fish on the way back. Michael hardly understood what he was talking about, but Gavin seemed to find it hilarious, so to avoid being too rude, Michael laughed along. Then Dan said his farewell near the northern edge of the forest and Michael and Gavin were left on a narrow, weedy trail that used to be a road. 

“Right then,” Gavin licked his finger and held it in the air, an action that Michael found completely useless because they knew exactly where they were (they’d been given a better map and everything). “Nine days this way, right?”

“Pretty much. They told me that you’d been farther out of the village than others. How far have you been?”

“Just a few miles, really. Not even a day.”

“Are you shitting me?”

“Well, that’s just north!” Gavin said in defence of himself. “Everybody knows there’s just a bunch of human cities north, so hardly anybody bothers. But everyone in the village’s been way farther south at some point.”

With that, they set off through the thinning trees. By the time they were nearly out of the forest the sky was darkening steadily, turning pink and gold off to their left as the sun lowered. They set up a camp just off the side of the road a few minutes after Michael declared they were out and back in open fields. After another two or three days they could get back onto the main road that exited the canyon. 

They killed time by talking as they travelled, and they got into a discussion about money after Gavin mentioned something called “quid”. Or pounds. Both. Michael asked him what the hell kind of currency they were using in the forest and then went on a rant about how currency in the rest of the world went on. It was more tiring than he thought it would be, because he had to pause and explain some tiny detail multiple times. It was like every other word was new to Gavin. 

“Say if I wanted to buy three pounds of salmon,” he started, like his question was one of the world’s greatest mysteries. Michael noticed that the Alati voiced most of his questions like that. “So what would I-“

Michael pulled out a handful of coins for the fourth time and pointed them out to Gavin. “It depends on where you go to get it, but thankfully salmon is kind of universal or else you’d be fucked. So, usually it’s four coppers and maybe one or two bronze. Usually just coppers.”

And before Michael could retract his hand, Gavin managed to snatch one of the coins. He squinted at it and held it up against the sun light. He commented on its shape and how it was completely flat as compared to quid, which resembled little cubes as far as Michael could tell (Gavin hadn’t brought any with him, so he only had very loose descriptions to go from). 

It went like this every single time Michael introduced Gavin (accidentally) to something he was entirely unfamiliar with. Like coins. He got a break every once and a while – Gavin liked to tell strange stories about things that happened in his life, but he only ever explained something enough to give Michael a vague impression of what he was actually talking about. He just kept rambling and Michael had no idea what he was even talking about sometimes – 

“Trees don’t _move_ , Gavin-“

“No, I mean when you’re moving and the trees are going by-“

“What the hell are you even talking about?”

It was annoying and funny at the same time, which was the only reason Michael didn’t just punch him out, and in the entire nine day journey, there was only one discussion they had that Michael could consider not stupid. It was after they dealt with a couple small beasts trying to wreck their camp in the middle of the night (because Gavin wasn’t paying attention, damn it). But they were gone quickly after Gavin struck one with his dagger. 

“What’s that thing made out of anyway?” Michael asked, still rubbing sleep from his eyes. 

“What?”

“Your dagger; what’s it made out of?” 

Gavin unsheathed his dagger again. When Michael re-lit their fire, its green blade reflected flickering reds and oranges, like a flame in his hand. “Back in the forest my sword hardly did anything against those beasts, I might as well have been smacking them with a stick, but your dagger there…”

Gavin took a few seconds to turn his dagger in the light, like he was inspecting it for damage. “It’s made out of a stuff called green metal.”

“Really? I wonder why.”

“Shut up,” Gavin sat down near the fire and began poking the flames with the blade. 

“Okay – I’ve never heard of it either way, so what is it? Other than, you know, some colourful metal.” Michael sat down next to him, careful to keep a little distance between him and Gavin’s feathers. 

“You probably haven’t heard of it. It’s really rare around these parts, but the village over the mountains has a whole load of it. It’s only mined in the mountains.”

“Where there are dragons? Okay, I get that. How did _you_ get a hold of it, then?”

“Because I’m awesome with a dagger?” Michael knocked him on to his side and he just laughed. “There’s a bit of it in the forest, but we mostly use it for weapons. I’m not a Guardian or anything – and I didn’t steal it! I have to go farther from the village to find my stuff for my chimes, and Dan got me this in case I ran into some bad guys.”

“So is Dan a guardian?”

“Yeah, pretty much. But anyway, they have a load of it in the other village, like, they have enough to have weapons and use it for decorations. They have so much because they’re closer and have better access to the mines in the mountains.”

“So basically, if I wonder around a mine in the mountains, I’d find some green metal?” Gavin snorted and shook his head. “Why not?”

“Because it’s not just a metal you can find anywhere. There has to be dragons.”

“Really.”

“Yeah, because this,” he gestured to his knife, “isn’t just one kind of rock or whatever. It’s a mix of like… diamond and gold and something else. There’s an actual name for it, too, but I can’t remember it. People just call it green metal. Anyway, you can only find it in an abandoned dragon lair – you’d be suicidal if you went into an occupied one. When dragons are digging and all that to make their liars, they breathe fire all over the place while they’re digging to keep the place warm and comfortable. Dragon fire is really, really hot, too, like, the hottest thing you can find in the world. So, when they breathe fire all over their lairs, the rocks and metals that are there get melted together and green metal forms when diamond and gold get melted together and solidify.”

“So it turns super sharp?”

“If it’s a weapon,” Gavin started poking their camp fire again. He seemed really proud of his dagger; Michael guessed that it would be impervious to anything but dragon fire. “It’s super-tough and if it’s a weapon you can get the edges super-sharp. It’s pretty much unbreakable.”

He looked really smug about it, so Michael pushed him over again and picked himself up as Gavin recovered and brandished his dagger playfully. 

“We’re supposed to be allies!” 

“Allies always punch each other.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, but you don’t get to punch me. Now shut up, I want to get back to sleep. And keep your eyes open this time!”

That was on the fifth night, four more days until they arrived in Vegas. In the morning, Michael woke up early out of habit. He didn’t want to wait for Gavin to get up on his own, so he woke Gavin up (he wouldn’t have been fully awake until at least another hour, anyway). They got moving quickly and rested for lunch, and then in the afternoon they both got tired, so it was usually quiet. 

A week passed like that, and then they only had two more days to go before they got to Vegas. Michael was getting even angrier with the package on his back than he was in the forest, and he wished he could get rid of it for longer than it took to eat, but Gavin had a giant pair of wings on his back and he probably wouldn’t be able to carry the package in his hands for too long. 

“Michael,” Gavin prodded his arm. When Michael turned to him, he was squinting up at the sky. “Do those look like beasts to you?”

Michael followed his line of sight. Flying in the sky were three birds. Michael narrowed his eyes – not birds, beasts; large oily black creatures with sharp talons as long as his hand. “Yeah. Flying ones… I can’t tell if they’re coming at us, though… How’s your wing?”

Gavin shifted his wings and stretched them out. “Feels okay.”

“Then be ready if they come at us.” Michael continued on cautiously, hand resting on his sword. 

The beasts circled above them for at least an hour and Gavin kept puffing up the feathers on his wings, making him seem larger and more dangerous. It kept the birds away for a while, but they ended up coming at them anyway. Michael figured that since Gavin never actually got off the ground, the beasts didn’t see him as much of a threat. 

“I think they’re weaker out here than they are near the forest,” Gavin said after taking a swipe at one of the beasts. It dodged easily while another dived down and tried to rake its talons over Michael’s face.

“Yeah, but they’re still just as fucking annoying!” Michael held the creature back with his sword, staggering and nearly falling back as its quick wings beats pushed it forward. He managed to shove it away, his shoulder throbbing now, but then the weight of the package on his back pulled him to the ground and he barely avoided landing on it. Gavin called his name, and before the beast could attack Michael again he threw his dagger and struck the bird to the ground, leaving two others. Michael removed the package from his back as quickly as he could and scrambled to his feet. The beasts’ caws and ear splitting shrieks rang in his ears as he fought them off while Gavin retrieved his weapon again. Then Gavin puffed up his wings once more, brow furrowed in concentration, and then he and both the birds were higher in the air than Michael could hope to strike. 

They danced around each other for a few seconds before Gavin downed the second beast. A moment later he was grappling with the last beast’s talons and the bird shrieked and fell. Gavin landed soon after with blood spattered on one of his wings. Michael stepped over the dead beasts as Gavin knelt and moved his wing in an awkward position to inspect a cut.

“Fuck – you’re injured again?”

“It’s not all my blood,” Gavin assured him. Michael reached for his pack and pulled out a clean cloth; Gavin winced when he pressed it to the wound. He pushed Michael’s hand away and held the cloth himself. “I can handle it.”

Michael took a couple steps back. He didn’t know if other people touching their wings was some kind of big Alati no-no, but by Gavin’s reaction it might be, so he kept his distance as Gavin tended to the cut. It wasn’t large and it was cleaned up quickly, but his feathers were still stained with crimson. Michael didn’t like the sight of it. 

“Why would they send a human and an injured guy to send a message?”

“It’s – nothing that will keep me from flying,” Gavin said, looking away sheepishly. Michael’s eyes narrowed. It could have been because he was already so irritated, but something just felt off.

“That’s not what I was talking about. You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

“There’s nothing to worry about,” Gavin stood quickly and started walking along the road again. Michael grabbed his arm and stopped him. 

“You are horrible at keeping secrets, Gavin,” he said seriously. Gavin looked down at him briefly. “Come on, just tell me before I have to get really pissed off trying to put all this shit together.”

“You don’t need to get mad – oh, bullocks…” Gavin finally gave in. He sighed and continued, “It’s the Chief’s way of proving to everyone – like, _everyone –_ that you’re trustworthy. So, by sending you along with me and a hurt wing-”

“You mean this is a test?” Michael exclaimed, letting go of Gavin’s arm. Seriously? Even days away from the village he was still being tested by that lady? “What does she think I’m going to do, murder you in your sleep?”

“Will you?”

“No!”

“Then there’s nothing for you to worry about!” Gavin sent him a shaky smile. “You could even take it as a compliment! The Chief _wants_ to be able to trust you completely, and me getting back in one piece would prove you’re not some mad axe-murderer to the rest of the village, too.”

Michael watched him for a few seconds while he floundered. If there was more to it, Gavin was doing a hell of a lot better job at hiding it. But Michael had the feeling that there wasn’t anything else to it – Gavin was definitely not the kind to be able to hide that much while still acting like a complete idiot this whole time. 

“That’s the dumbest bullshit I ever heard,” Michael said finally. He had to fight down the urge to laugh at Gavin’s confused expression. “Like, the dumbest logic. You realize she pretty much threw you out in the middle of a road to be trampled by a hundred cows, right?”

Gavin's sheepish expression returned once again. “Are you mad at me?”

Michael sighed and walked by Gavin, back on the road. “For trying to hide that from me and doing a terrible job at it? Yeah.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I volunteered,” Gavin started following him. Michael turned his head to see over his shoulder.

“You volunteered for what?”

“For going to Vegas,” Gavin explained. “With you.”

“Even though you were injured? Why?”

“It wasn’t that bad to begin with,” he waved off the “sprained” wing injury. “And I can’t exactly do anything about my debt if you’re wandering about out here and I’m stuck in the forest. Let's keep going.” 

_)_

“ _Man, that was like the first one.”_

“ _First what?”_

“ _First sappy conversation we ever had. I mean, we haven’t had a whole hell of a lot, but that was one of the first. I think there’s another one when we get to Vegas.”_

“ _How was that a sappy conversation?”_

“ _Just look at the last seven or eight lines.”_

“ _What? That’s not sappy.”_

“ _Well, compared to everything else that happens later on, yeah, it isn’t; but we’re still at the beginning of the story. The readers have nothing else to go on, so right now, this is our first sappy conversation.”_

“ _No, I think the first one’s in Vegas. That was sappy.”_

“ _Shut the fuck up, it’s not like I was thinking ‘how do I make this as sappy as possible because I’m going to be writing about it later’ while I was talking. It’d probably have been a lot less sappy if you weren’t looking at me like that.”_

“ _Like what?”_

“ _Like… You know what? There will be descriptions of sappy expressions later. Little window dressing shit and all that to make this story sound less bloody than it is. Not that I mind bloody.”_

“ _I think you should stop writing the word ‘sappy’.”_

“ _You stop writing it. Come on, let’s at least get to Vegas before next year.”_

_)_

For all that it was just a nine day walk from a murderous forest, Vegas was just as large and crowded as any other city. Luckily, they arrived after sun down, so there was hardly anyone in the streets and Gavin didn’t have to worry so much about covering his wings. The only people who’d see them were muggers (which Michael could deal with easily) and anyone looking out the window, checking for threats – Vegas was a pretty large city, but even it had some scary shit coming out at night. Hopefully no one would confuse Gavin for something like that and call guards on them. 

“You have to go see that Burnie guy, right?” Gavin asked as they navigated the network of streets, glancing at the package on Michael’s back. Michael could hardly wait to finally get rid of the thing; his back ached constantly and it felt like it was just getting heavier every day. Whatever Geoff has sent, he hoped Burnie thanked him for it. Or at least paid him a bonus.

“Yeah. Where do you have to bring that letter?”

“A, uh… old friend of the Chief.” Gavin replied. “Apparently this guy wandered into the forest a long while back and they’ve kept in touch every few… months or so.”

“Months?”

“Yeah, just to make sure they don’t completely lose contact. It’s one of the ways the village stays in tune with the rest of the world.”

“I wouldn’t say the village is all that synchronized with everywhere else,” Michael murmured. “But whatever, I guess. This guy can help you?”

“Apparently. I think he’s involved with this city’s military. Or at least that’s what I’ve been able to glean from the whole situation.” Gavin shrugged, digging around in his pockets and pulling out a sealed envelope. “We wouldn’t ask the guy for help if there wasn’t anything he could do, right?”

“You mean you don’t even know who this guy is?”

“I know there’s a possibility that he can help.”

He said it with an air of finality, so Michael decided to let it go. “Okay then; do you at least know where to find him? ‘Cause if you don’t, you’re fucked.”

“She gave me directions,” Gavin assured him. “I just have to find some Brick House place, and I'm set...” He began turning his head in different directions as he trailed off, examining the street. His focus kept going back to the rooftops and then he said, “They’re completely covered.”

“What are you talking about?” Michael tried to figure out what he was thinking about. It was one of the most difficult things he’d ever done. “What’s all covered?”

“The roofs!” Gavin pointed and Michael almost stopped in his tracks.

“Of course they’re all covered!” He hissed, not wanting to raise his voice and attract attention. “Nobody has wings here; we don’t need to fly through the god damn roofs of our homes!”

“Your homes are boring,” Gavin told him, like it was the answer to one of life’s greatest mysteries. 

“You don’t need to live in them,” Michael pulled him along when Gavin stopped to look at a particularly ugly house. “Come on, stop getting distracted. Do you have a job to do or what?”

Gavin followed him until they reached a large, dark crossroads where six or seven streets connected. A post stood in the centre with arrows pointing off in different directions. Gavin approached the post and squinted at the writing for a few minutes. When he still hadn’t decided which way he was supposed to be going, Michael realized that Gavin probably didn’t know how to read. Or at least read this language, he corrected himself.

“You don’t know how to read that, do you?” He asked. Gavin shook his head slowly. 

“I thought I could figure it out because the letters are similar,” Gavin leaned closely to one of the arrows. “Crossroad Inn” was etched into it, but to Gavin it was probably just some gibberish. Michael sighed softly and started reading all of the signs and quickly found the signs reading “Brick House” and “Rooster Teeth”. One sign pointed to his right and the other to his left.

He pointed to the Brick House sign. “That’s the one you want,” he pointed to his left. “So just go that way, I guess. If you find more signs, try to remember what the letters look like.”

Gavin started staring at the Brick House sign unblinkingly. Then he turned to Michael. “Do you have to go a different way?”

Michael lazily waved to his right. “Somewhere down there I can finally get rid of this god awful box.”

Gavin chuckled softly and then focused again on the sign for a few seconds. “So… good bye for now?” His wings were folded awkwardly under a cloak and Michael could hear the feathers rustling as he shifted from foot to foot uncertainly. 

Michael shrugged. “I guess so… For now? Aren’t you going back to the village?”

“You make it sound like you don’t want to see me again.” Gavin grinned and Michael gave him a small shove.

“Would your chief mind if I didn’t hold your hand all the way? We’ve both got delivery jobs pretty much; I doubt it’ll take long. Maybe if you manage to track me down before you go, but I only agreed to take you to Vegas, so…”

“Say if I did track you down – would you happen to be in any life threatening situations?” Gavin asked. 

“I’ll try my very best,” Michael deadpanned. Then an awkward silent settled over them. It’s not his job to lead Gavin around Vegas, Michael told himself. He knows where to go now and I did my part. I’ve got my own job to do. “Until whenever, then.”

Gavin repeated it back to him and Michael turned and walked away from the post. 

_)_

“ _I’d say that was one of the most awkward good byes I’d ever seen, but there’s still another one coming.”_

“ _And I’d say ‘don’t worry about it’, but it was kind of awkward.”_

“’ _Kind of?’ That’s it? Have I been sitting next to some emotionless weirdo this entire time?”_

“ _No. We just didn’t know what to say or do at the moment.”_

“ _That’s what makes a situation awkward, Gavin. Now then, my dear readers, prepare yourselves; now that we are in Vegas, we finally get to see what was in that damn box. That fucking box that Geoff told me to deliver to Burnie – we meet him, too.”_

“ _I’d also tell you it wasn’t that bad, but… It was pretty bad. It was hilarious.”_

“ _It was_ not _fucking hilarious! I’m getting pissed off just thinking about it.”_

“ _I wasn’t actually there, but this is one of my favourite parts.”_

“ _Shut the fuck up, Gavin.”_

 


	5. Box of Destiny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael finally delivers his package and vows to get revenge, and there is a continuing argument over what is spoiling and what is foreshadowing.

 

It was actually quieter than Michael thought it would be as he continued through the streets of Vegas on his own. In Austin, there were still at least a few people meandering around, usually drunk, coming home from a bar. But if it wasn’t for the fact that there was warm light and faint voices coming from inside some windows and the occasional scuffling of some animal, Vegas was almost dead at night. He’d been told Vegas was a pretty lively place, but apparently not after sundown.

It was fucking confusing, though. It was more and more like a maze of twisting streets the farther he got from the outskirts, and Michael was starting to regret leaving Gavin on his own. The idiot can’t read the signs here, he thought; he’s probably already gotten himself lost. But he reminded himself again that he only agreed to take Gavin to the city, not to lead him around by the hand. Gavin could probably take care of himself if something happened, he had wings. And besides, Michael figured that the chances of him finding Gavin again in this mess before next week were pretty low.

\--

“ _Wow, you were really inconsiderate then.”_

“ _I was not_ inconsiderate _. I was being realistic.”_

“ _But what if I’d gotten attacked?”_

“ _Gavin, the people there were so scared of leaving their houses then that_ you _were more likely to attack_ them _. And you were fine anyway.”_

“ _It was like you didn’t care about me at all.”_

“ _I only knew you for a week, of course I didn’t care a lot about you! And don’t give me that look, if we were writing a book about a man named Dung Bingo and his dumb friend Dicky B, this is where the plot moves forward a bit more and all that character changing shit would start happening.”_

“ _Character development?”_

“ _Yeah. So shut up and watch the magic happen.”_

\--

A total of four sign posts led Michael to his destination, which had a name he considered a whole lot more original that Gavin’s destination. Rooster Teeth was a company that imported and exported equipment for military and civilian use, along with a number of other miscellaneous things, in and around Vegas. Michael wasn’t sure what those things were, but according to Geoff, they also did things like trade and the Achievement Hunters had some kind of contract with them. Not to mention that Geoff was also friends with the owner of the whole establishment.

It was a two storey building (with no hole in the roof), almost ominous looking in the darkness, but there were still a couple flickering lights inside. Michael adjusted the weight on his back, approached the door, and knocked loudly. There was a moment of pause, and just when Michael was going to knock again, he heard a lock click and the door opened wide enough to reveal the face of a blonde woman with large blue eyes. 

The woman’s eyes flashed up and down, pausing on the box strapped to his back, and she said, “What do you want?”

Michael’s response had been circling around his head since he left Austin. “I’m here to deliver a package to a Burnie Burns from Geoff Ramsey at the Achievement Hunters.”

The woman blinked a couple times as if she was surprised, and then she smiled. “Oh, we’ve been waiting for you! Come in, then.” She opened the door wider and stepped aside as he entered, then shut the door firmly behind him, locking it again. “You’re lucky a couple of us are working late.”

“Honestly, I didn’t think that everybody would be locked up at home at this time.” Michael said as she led him away. “It’s not _that_ late.”

She hummed in agreement. “People don’t want to stay around too late,” she explained. “There have been some… eh, issues.”

More issues? Before Michael could ask what kind of problems they were having, she’d stopped next to a door that was slightly ajar. She knocked lightly a couple times and then pushed the door open. 

“Hey, Burnie, there’s a package here for you. From Geoff.”

“Finally?” The man inside had his back turned to him and he appeared to be tinkering with a large grey box. He looked over his shoulder and pushed his glasses up. “Wow, I thought nobody was going to show up.”

“You knew I was coming?” Michael asked, stepping inside. He glanced to the table the man was leaning over. There were a number of springs and latches scattered around, and then a small pile of arrows. 

“I knew Geoff was sending something at some point, but I didn’t think it’d take you this long to get here.”

“So, you’re Burnie?”

“Yep,” Burnie turned and wiped his hands on a cloth already stained with black oil. “What took so long?”

“I got delayed,” Michael answered with an inexplicable irritation. “The road through the canyon was blocked. Beasts going on a rampage, apparently.”

Burnie raised his eyebrows. “So you’re telling me you went through the woods?”

Michael nodded and tried to keep the smugness off his face as both Burnie and his friend exchanged impressed looks. “Yeah, got a little scrapped up after some beasts, but I made it out okay.”

He wondered if either of them would believe him if he told them there was an entire village of winged people living in the forest. 

“I gotta say, you’ve got guts,” Burnie said. “What’s your name?”

“Michael Jones.”

“Well, Michael, it’s nice to see that not everyone around here’s a pansy, wandering around at night and all that.” Burnie turned back to the contraption he was working on while his companion cleared off another table. Michael sighed in relief as he was finally able to drop the box for good.

“What’s this all about, anyway?” he asked, massaging his shoulder. “Why’s everyone all shut in?”

“We get the usual animals around here,” the woman started. “Bears and all that. But we’ve been getting more beasts sneaking into the city too. A lot more than usual, and people are scared of that.”

“Fuck, what’s with all the beast problems? We’ve hardly had to worry about them before.”

“Beats me,” Burnie attached a couple latches in the box as he spoke. “It’s obviously troubling nonetheless. Hold this for me, would you, Barbara? This dispenser’s almost done, just gotta clip a couple things in.”

Michael watched as Burnie finished building his dispenser with Barbara’s help. After attaching more latches and screws, they stepped back and Burnie pressed a button on the top of it. Nothing came out, but Burnie seemed pleased anyway. He smiled, wiped his hands off again and then turned back to Michael.

“Test that with the arrows now,” he said to Barbara and approached the package next to Michael. “We’ve been trying to come up with a new design for dispensers,” he explained. “Smaller, easier to hide, quicker to use. Now then, let’s see what Geoff packed in here.”

“It’s heavy as fuck,” Michael told him, rolling his shoulders back. His back was probably going to be hurting for a while. 

Burnie lifted it up a couple centimetres off the table and snorted. “I don’t envy you, having to carry it around for what, two weeks?”

“Ended up being three, actually.”

The man was chuckling as he removed the ties and lifted the lid of the box open. His smiled dropped when he looks inside, however, and he stared at the contents blankly. Michael couldn’t see past the lid, but before he could question what was in the box, Burnie sighed.

“Damn it, Geoff,” he said. Barbara left the dispenser to see the box, and when she looked over Burnie’s shoulder, her face cracked into a wide grin and she burst out laughing. Cackling, actually, and Burnie joined in a second later. 

“What’s in it?” Michael asked, leaning to see the box. At first he wasn’t sure exactly what it was, it just looked like a bunch of rocks to him. Then he realized that the box _was_ full of rocks. “What the fuck?”

“Oh, that is terrible!” Burnie exclaimed between bouts of laughter. Barbara was leaning heavily on the table so that she didn’t fall over with the force of her laughs. “I can’t believe he did that!”

“I risked my life for _this_?” Michael screeched, staring at the box full of rocks in disbelief. No fucking wonder it was so damn heavy! Rage started to surface under his skin as he thought about what Geoff had told him before he left Austin – _This is a very important package, and it’s_ imperative _that it gets to Vegas._ “This is bullshit!” 

In fact, it was so much bullshit that Michael could be making a fortune selling it to other people so that they could bullshit their friends. He imagined Geoff and the rest of his mercenaries sitting at home in Austin, laughing with each other at the joke they’d pulled as he went on the road, determined to prove himself.

And all this time, the box that felt as heavy as a sack of rocks actually was filled with rocks. Michael considered shoving the box to the floor in a show of just how pissed he was, and there was only one thing keeping him from storming out. Despite his rib-busting laughter, Burnie seemed to already know this and was one step ahead of him.

“Barb – Barbara – oh, this is ridiculous,” Burnie pointed to the door, gasping for breath. “I think Michael here deserves a bit of – a bit of compensation for his troubles!”

Her amusement seemed to have simmered down somewhat and she left the room giggling as Burnie called, “get a little extra, too!” after her. 

“So this was all a joke?” Michael growled, glaring at the box. He was going to punch Geoff when he got back.

Burnie wiped tears from his eyes. “Looks – looks like it. This is absolutely something Geoff would pull,” he pulled a rock out of the box and tossed it back and forth in his hands. “Pretend rocks were a very important package, oh man… Before you go on a mission to murder Geoff, though, think of it this way – you looked so determined to get this box here, you even took the risk of that forest. Imagine if this was an actual package you needed to deliver. At least – at least now we know that there’s a good chance you’ll get a job done good!”

As Michael considered this new point of view, Barbara re-entered the room with a small pouch, a slip of paper and a pen. 

“Right, Michael,” Burnie said as he began scribbling on the paper, writing a message. “You travelled for three weeks with a box of rocks on your back, went through the forest, _and_ managed to keep it in pretty good condition. That’s pretty impressive all on your lonesome, and even if you weren’t alone, I’m still gonna give you some extra pay, because the mission itself was just ridiculous.”

“Damn right,” Michael said indignantly. He _hadn’t_ been alone for most of the trip, but there was no reason to say he’d had a partner if Burnie was going to give him extra pay anyway. And besides, the man would probably never believe half the story, would he?

“Give him that when you get back,” Burnie said as he folded the message up and passed it to Michael. He tossed the pouch at him, too, and Michael heard and felt coins clinking around inside when he caught it. “And take that with you. It’s more than what I’d usually give for a delivery, but, all things considered, you probably deserve it.”

Michael took the money gratefully, happy that somebody at least appreciated the effort he put into this whole fiasco. “I hope you’re right about what you said,” he said as Burnie shook his hand. 

“Geoff likes to pull the occasional prank, but I don’t think he’d fuck you over for this,” Burnie replied, clapping his shoulder. “You’ve got enough to find a good place to stay – take a good rest before you get going again. Hopefully the canyon road will be open again, too.”

Michael nodded good bye to Burnie as Barbara led him out of the room and back to the front door. She still seemed to be fighting off fits of giggles, but she was calm enough by the time she sent him off. “Good luck, and tell Geoff we all said hi when you get back!”

“I’ll make sure to pass on the message,” Michael replied dryly before she closed the door, leaving him on the dark, empty street. He rolled his shoulders again and felt an ache in his back. At the very least, he thought as he walked away from the Rooster Teeth building, he felt a whole lot lighter without that damn box on his back. 

“I can’t believe he sent me to deliver a box of rocks,” he muttered to himself angrily. He was so going to get revenge on Geoff for this. It was _on_. 

Following Burnie’s suggestion, he began looking for a place to stay the night. Most places were closed and dark inside, but Michael knew that if he followed the right sign posts, they’d point him to an inn. He saw one earlier as well when he and Gavin arrived.

What would Gavin be doing right now, anyway? Michael wondered if he even found the place he was supposed to go, or if he was _still_ wandering the streets. Maybe a couple of patrol guys found him and locked him up. Michael shook his head – he didn’t want that happen. The chief of Ad Lucem would have his head for that; he hoped that Gavin didn’t cause any trouble, at least. He might be flying home already, too. Michael looked up at the sky – if Gavin were flying, he'd probably still be visible, even at night – but all he could see were the stars and the moon. No winged figures floating around.

But even still, Michael thought he could hear the sound of flapping wings. There’s nothing there, he told himself. Stop thinking about Gavin and it’ll go away.

And just as the thought passed through his mind, something large and heavy collided with his back. It would have knocked him right on his face if it hadn’t actually been a person hugging him from behind, and had this person not had wings that were balancing them. And Michael probably would have fought back at the person if they hadn’t said into his ear, “Hi, Michael!”

“What – Gavin?” Michael twisted around and saw a flash of green feathers. Gavin clung to his back, laughing. “What the fuck?”

“Your box is gone,” Gavin said. “Did you get your mission done?”

“Of course I did,” Michael staggered out of the street and away from where prying eyes could see them. He didn’t want somebody to look out the window and think there was some huge winged beast with two heads standing outside their house. “Gavin, what are you doing? Where did you even come from?”

“I flew over the roofs,” Gavin replied. “And I’m hugging you!”

“This is not a hug,” Michael said as he pried Gavin’s legs from around his torso. “Come on, you’re making a scene!”

Gavin chuckled, but he relented and released Michael completely before folding his wings neatly behind them and hiding them under his cloak. “How did it go? What was in the box?”

Michael thought about the moment the box was opened and felt the same annoyance and anger spike. “It was the dumbest fucking thing I’ve _ever_ had to do. I totally have to get revenge on Geoff for this!”

Gavin only looked slightly concerned. “What did he send?”

“He sent rocks,” Michael growled. “He sent a goddamn box of _rocks_!”

Gavin stared at him for a few seconds. His face was blank, but Michael could see his wings tremble under his cloak just before his face, too, cracked into a wide grin and he snorted. “Are you serious?”

“I swear to everything holy that if you start laughing at me, too,” Michael warned. Gavin covered his mouth, but it did little to hide his mirth.

“You’re serious? He actually sent you on a mission with a box of rocks?”

“Yes! All this for a box of fucking rocks!” Michael exclaimed. “I had to go the long way around the canyon and get nearly killed in a forest for that! If Burnie didn’t give me extra pay for it, I would have punched him, I’m serious. Stop laughing.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Gavin backed away to lean on the nearest wall, unsuccessfully trying to contain his laughter. After a few seconds and a whack to the head from Michael, he managed to compose himself. “It’s – you delivered a box of rocks! Your very important package, the one your job relied on was a – ack! Okay, okay, I’m stopping!”

“I’m going to gag you if you don’t shut up,” Michael said sternly. “Just – I need to think about something else. What about your message, huh? Did you get that delivered or have you been horribly lost this entire damn time?”

Gavin shook his head. “No, I found it, and I gave the guy my letter.”

“And?”

“And apparently Gus’ wife was the one who named the building.”

“That’s not what I meant, but it’s nice to know. Who the fuck is Gus?”

“The guy I had to talk to! I gave him the Chief’s letter,” Gavin drew an envelope out of his pocket and started doing what was probably a very bad impression of the man named Gus. “And he said, ‘Hmm, this is terrible!’ And then he wrote a letter for me to bring back to the village. I _think_ he’s going to help us, but I don’t know what’s in the letter.”

“It sounds like good news anyway,” Michael tried to sound glad as possible for Gavin’s success. It wasn’t too hard considering Gavin was trying to secure more than just his job. 

“And that reminds me,” Gavin pulled out a second envelope and passed it to Michael. “That’s for you to give to that guy you work for.”

“Geoff. And I don’t actually work for him _yet_. What’s it say?”

Gavin shrugged. “To prove that you did an escort mission, I guess? Would he believe you if you went home and said, ‘you’ll never believe what happened,’ and then told them about me?”

“Uh... probably not without proof,” Michael stowed the letter away in his pack. “Are you leaving then?”

“Not right now,” Gavin said, shaking his head.

“Why not?”

“’Cause I have to wait for Griffon,” Gavin glanced up at the sky, but there were no gold wings in sight.

“Griffon? Why? You can’t fly back on your own?”

“Just in case. She’s going to bring money for you, too. I have to meet her outside the city.”

Michael almost asked why Gavin didn’t just take money with him, but then he remembered that not only did they use different currencies, but Gavin might say something like “just in case you were going to mug me and run.” Instead, he straightened out his clothes and walked back out into the street.

“Come on, then. I hate standing around in alleys.”

Gavin followed him, but instead of being quiet like Michael would have preferred at this time of night, he began questioning Michael again. If you go swimming, how do you see underwater? How close are we to the moon? Do you think I could fly to the moon? Apparently Gus mentioned something about mountain lions, too, so he also wanted to know what those were.

Michael told him the first thing he could think of. He was only putting up with this because it was the least he could do if he was never going to see Gavin again. “They’re big cats that you don’t want to run into. You’re part bird and they like birds. They’d probably eat you right up.”

“I don’t want to be eaten,” Gavin said, falling silent. The prospect of being eaten seemed to have put him into deep thought on mountain lions. He proved Michael incorrect, however, with his next question. “Hey, why do you want to become a mercenary so badly?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“Because you just delivered a box of rocks,” Gavin sniggered. “And you’re still going back. Ha ha – it was the Box of Destiny!”

“Don’t remind me,” Michael sighed. Gavin was right – he still wanted to join the Achievement Hunters, even if he had to deal with bullshit like this. He glanced up at the sky for a second before he started. “I was one of those kids that wanted to run around fighting bad guys.”

“You have Guardians in your cities, don’t you?”

“If you mean a military, yeah, of course we do, but... If I became a soldier, I wouldn’t actually travel around a lot unless there was a battle or something that I needed to stand next to and watch over. That’s not what I want to do.”

“I get it,” Gavin said. When Michael gave him a questioning look, he moved his wings under his cloak. “Come on, I’m ‘part bird,’ I don’t have wings just for decoration.”

“I guess you have a point. Anyway, a lot of people kind of look down on mercenaries, they want an actual trained soldier to do things for them. But I don’t want to be tied down to one place like that.” Michael paused, glancing over at Gavin. The Alati was watching him with an expression of genuine interest, but his face was almost perpetually like that since they met. “Okay, this is going to sound sappy, but I want to go on adventures.”

Gavin blinked once and his eyebrows lifted slightly. “But didn’t you say that the Achievement Hunters were _based_ in... whatever that city was?”

“Yeah, they’re based in Austin, but they move around a lot to do their job. I don’t want to have to get up every day in the same place to report to some officer. All I wanted to do when I was a kid was go on adventures.” Michael still remembered when people would look at him and say “that’s no way to make a living” whenever he told them what he wanted to do. Well, fuck them, he thought, he was going to do it anyway. Half the great names in stories were mercenaries, anyway. 

“I wonder if they started off delivering rocks,” Gavin joked when Michael told him that. Michael tried to resist the strong urge to punch him and failed.

“Stop bringing that up!” He hissed indignantly as Gavin rubbed his arm. “Come on, everybody’s had dreams when they were a kid. Don’t tell me you didn’t. At least I’m making a go for it.”

“So, your dream is to become a big name mercenary?”

“Part of it, yeah.” There was a moment of silence between them while Gavin waited for him to continue. He let it drag on as he checked a sign post, making sure they weren’t so distracted as to take a wrong turn. “Well, I don’t know about your dragons down south, but I know for a fact that they’ve been seen in the north.”

Gavin looked startled for a split second. “You want to kill a dragon?”

“If you start laughing at me for that too, I swear I will-”

“No, I’m not laughing at you!” Gavin said hastily. 

“Good, because I’ve already gotten enough heat for that one. No pun intended.” Michael kept an eye on Gavin, just in case he started snickering at all. “It’s not like nobody else has thought about it. I’m not going to spend my life taking over the old man’s bakery.”

“What old man?” Gavin looked confused again, like he did every time Michael referenced something he didn’t know about. Michael mentally slapped himself for bringing it up. He’d have to explain it now.

“My old man, you know?” No. “As in my father.”

“Your father’s a baker? Does he make good bread?”

“No, he’s not a – no, shut up, you’re distracting me. My point is I don’t want to live some plain, domestic life. I want to _achieve_ something.”

“Like the Achievement Hunters.”

“Yes, exactly like that.” 

“Even though killing a dragon is one of the dumbest ideas I’ve ever heard.”

“What?” Michael stopped dead in his tracks and glared at Gavin. “Hey, I wasn’t asking for your opinion on it!”

“Well, there’s a reason that dragons are pretty much on top of the food chain,” Gavin gave him an expression similar to concern. “You know, they can be as big as a hill when they’re really old and you can’t find any fire hotter than theirs. Not to mention giant claws. They can burn you right to a crisp in no time flat! Unless you mean a baby dragon, which is even more suicidal because you’d have to actually get by the mother first-”

“No, Gavin, I mean a big ol’ nasty dragon,” Michael said very seriously. “That’s the whole point, to be able to brave the danger.”

“It’s hardly brave, it’s mad is what it is. But...” Gavin paused to look upward again for a few seconds. Then he smiled at Michael. It wasn’t the derisive or antagonistic one that Michael’s rivals would give him. There was genuine warmth in it. “You seem like a pretty tough and stubborn guy. I think... maybe you could do it someday.”

Michael stared at him, almost shocked. For all that he and Gavin had known each other for two weeks (and Michael hadn’t even known that people like Gavin _existed_ before then), Gavin was one of the few people who actually believed in his dream to any extent. Michael was a laughing stock to pretty much his entire home town, and here was Gavin, a supposedly mythical creature telling him he could beat the odds.

It was nice, actually.

“Thanks, Gavin,” Michael said quietly, returning the smile.

They started walking again in a companionable silence, getting nearer to the gates of the city. Michael wondered how much Gavin really knew about dragons, and if he’d really seen one, anything that would help him reach his goal faster. The way Gavin spoke about it, it seemed like common knowledge among the Alati. Of course, they lived much closer to the mountains, where the beasts got so vicious that humans rarely strayed in that region. Perhaps that was why the Alati had been so well hidden in the forest – it was common knowledge to humans that the beasts of the south were more deadly than any other.

Then, a few moments later, Gavin said, “I mean, you _did_ just go through hell to deliver a box of rocks.”

“You little fucker,” Michael burst out, immediately throwing a punch at him. 

“Ow, Michael!” Gavin raised his arms to protect himself against Michael’s fists. “I wasn’t joking or anything!”

“The hell you weren’t,” Michael growled, more menacing than ever. He managed to trap Gavin in a headlock, but Gavin kept struggling against him and their scuffled continued. Gavin’s cloak was thrown off and Michael was almost forced to let go when his wings beat against his head, and they only stopped when another voice cracked over the fray.

“A lovers’ spat already? It hasn’t even been a month yet!”

They both froze and looked up at the figure standing before them, hands on their hips. For a split second, Michael thought it was Geoff because of the tattoos covering their arms, but then he quickly realized it was Griffon. Her arms were bared, but he could see the shape of her wings beneath her cloak. 

She smirked, eyes flashing between them, and she chuckled. “You haven’t let him under your feathers, have you, Gavin?”

“Wh-what? No! Griffon, of course not!” Gavin untangled himself from Michael’s grip quickly. His cheeks were so flushed that Michael could see it even in the dark, and he guessed that what Griffon had said was considered something sexual. Gavin immediately began to smooth out his green feathers, which had become ruffled during their short brawl, and he hid them again under his own cloak. 

Griffon’s smirk appeared to have spread somewhat, but it became a true smile when she turned to Michael. “Well, he’s safe and sound, I see. That’s good.”

“There were a couple close calls,” Michael replied, giving a sideways glance to Gavin. “And he got the letter delivered okay.”

“And I got a reply,” Gavin added, waving his letter. “I don’t know what it says, though.”

“The Chief knows how to read it,” Griffon assured him. She untied a small pouch from her belt and held it out for Michael to take. “This is for you, then, for getting Gav here safely.”

Michael took the pouch and thanked her. “You’re going straight back to the forest, right?”

She nodded with a more grim expression. “Yes, the sooner the better. Take care, all right? I hope you get what you want back home.”

She pulled her cloak from her wings and began stretching them out. Gavin mimicked her and then turned to Michael.

“You know, I actually meant what I said earlier,” he said, the sincerity in his voice written on his face. “About your dream.”

“I get it,” Michael ran a hand through his hair, unsure of what else to say. What else was he supposed to say other than “bye?” He wasn’t sure if Gavin considered his debt paid off, so did that mean they’d see each other again? He was about to ask Gavin this, but then he noticed that Gavin’s face seemed to have blanched. “What?”

Gavin stammered and his cheeks flushed red again. His eyes kept flashing up to Michael’s head and Griffon looked like she was having trouble containing a sudden case of giggles. 

“Seriously, what?” 

“Uh, you’ve got a, uh...” Gavin gestured to Michael’s head. “You’ve got a feather in your – I’ll get it-“

Gavin practically leaped over to him and plucked something from Michael’s hair – a soft green feather only a couple inches long. 

“A feather?” Michael stared at him with disbelief. Gavin still seemed incredibly embarrassed. “What about it?”

He heard Griffon snort and then sigh, “humans.” The word “ignorant” might have been in there somewhere, which further confused Michael. It must be another Alati thing, he figured.

“Just forget it,” Gavin said quickly, shaking his head. “Doesn’t matter.”

“Uh... Okay.” Michael decided not to question it any further, and a few seconds of silence fell over them again. “So, good bye, I guess?”

“I guess so,” Gavin replied. “Good bye.”

Gavin gave him a lopsided smile. “Yeah, until then.”

And with that, he and Griffon both spread their wings and took off into the sky, leaving Michael far below them. 

\--

“ _People are probably wondering what was so awkward about that.”_

“ _We’ll get there, Gavin. Later. I mean, even without everything else that they’ll learn later, it was still kind of awkward. At least Griffon was there or else we’d probably have been standing there all damn night.”_

“ _She just made it worse for me.”_

“ _That’s because she knew all your guys’ weird innuendos. And you know what else? We had a moment back there, and you ruined it.”_

“ _I did not ruin it. It’s still as sappy as ever. It probably would have gotten even worse!”_

“ _You fucking ruined it! I told you to shut up about that box, and what did you do?”_

“ _I love that box – the Box of Destiny.”_

“ _Yeah, the fucking Box of Destiny.”_

“ _Hey, I still wasn’t laughing about your dream.”_

“ _Damn straight you weren’t. I mean, look at me now – the guy with the stupid dream, living the life of a badass mercenary.”_

“ _Who’s giving spoilers away now?”_

“ _No one. I’m foreshadowing.”_

“ _That wasn’t sneaky at all-“_

“ _Shut up before we have to rip this page out too! Come on, we’ve only got a limited supply. Let’s get a move on. A big move on.”_

“ _Yeah, we have to zip through the month you were pining for me.”_

“ _God damn it, I wasn’t fucking_ pining _. Shut up before I dump the ink well on your wings.”_

“ _You wouldn’t!”_

“ _Fucking try me.”_

“ _You’d have to clean them out.”_

“ _No, I wouldn’t.”_

“ _But I know how to make you want to.”_

“ _Shut up! Spoilers!”_

“ _Foreshadowing!”_


	6. Of Time Skips and Achievement Hunting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is, as foretold by Gavin and Michael's commentary, the chapter filled with time skips, for what is a memoir about Michael and Gavin if Gavin isn't in it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is gigantic. I wanted to make up for the long absence, but it's mostly because I didn't want to go more than one chapter without Gavin (because, again, this is both of their stories). If it seems a little rushed, just think of it as Michael wanting his boy back as soon as possible!
> 
>  
> 
> And also, there is another note at the end of the chapter and I'd like you all to read it to reduce confusion as much as possible. Repeat: read the note at the end of the chapter when you get to it.

Michael left Vegas the following morning, half reluctant to leave the first proper bed he’d slept in for days. He predicted that even if the road through the canyon was still blocked the return trip to Austin would still be shorter now that he didn’t have the Box of Destiny weighing him down. It would probably only take a couple weeks. Hopefully the plan wouldn’t go wrong again and he could get home on time.

\--

“ _Would you have complained if you had to see us again?”_

“ _Uh… Yes. Yes I would.”_

“ _Really?”_

“ _Gav, if I had to see you guys again, then that would have meant the plan went wrong. I would have complained about that.”_

“ _So, you wouldn’t have complained about seeing us, though.”_

“ _No, I would have complained about that, too. You’re all nuts.”_

“ _But you didn’t complain when – oh, no, yes you did.”_

“ _You have to stop-“_

“ _I’m not spoiling anything! They already know we’re going to see each other again!”_

“ _Of course they know, how the hell would we be writing this if we didn’t? That’s it, that’s all, don’t say anything else.”_

“ _Don’t worry readers; we are destined to see each other again!”_

“ _God damn it…”_

\--

He made it home without any incident. The canyon road was open and nothing happened that could be connected in any way with anything out of the ordinary. There was hardly any sign that there had been beasts rampaging in the canyon. They must have cleaned it up pretty good, Michael thought. It was quiet, peaceful, only the occasional encounter…

He would have been basking in the silence if some part of his mind hadn’t been telling how boring it all was at the same time.

On his own and back on familiar roads, though, it only took him a week and a half to reach Austin. To most people it was an average city filled with average people (for the most part), home to a couple famous festivals and good trade, and that’s exactly what it was. People who recognized him waved and welcomed him back after his two month absence, and instead of heading straight to his home, he searched for the familiar green star-and-target emblem that was the Achievement Hunters’ symbol. 

The mercenaries could often be found in the local bar, their headquarters, or at least somewhere near the town even when not on a mission, but Michael was lucky enough to not need to search for long, as they were all gathered at their base. It was almost like they heard he was coming and were waiting for him, the bastards.

Geoff Ramsey was the leader of the group and easily spotted in a crowd because of the tattoos covering his arms. Despite the fact that he seemed to look perpetually drunk or at least always had a drink in his hand, he had years of experience as a mercenary under his belt. He’d also been in the city guard, and was rumoured to have even been involved in the Knight's Guild in Angeles, but even if he had a title, Michael now knew that he liked to play the occasional “prank”. 

Next to him was Jack, his right hand man. Tall, burly and just as experienced with an axe as Geoff was with a sword, he was generally a good natured guy on and off the field, and he always had his eyes peeled for anyone in need of their services. Across the table from him was Ryan, a spear man who’d drifted from town to town before settling in Austin with the Achievement Hunters. He was sort of a jack-of-all-trades and took up the bow sometimes, but either way Michael knew he could be counted on to keep an enemy at bay. Lastly, sitting on the table shuffling through papers, was Caleb – Michael really wasn’t sure if he was actually part of the Achievement Hunters or not; it seemed he was often around the base or helping them on a mission, but at the same time he would be gone for days, if not weeks at a time. He always came back with possible marks though, so Michael figured he was part of the group in some way.

When Michael found them sat around their big and worn table, they didn’t look to be doing anything in particular – Geoff was drinking, Caleb was reading, Jack might have been napping, and Ryan was testing a spearhead against a block of wood. They could have been waiting for a visitor, but Michael could see the smug look on Geoff’s face, and he sent him a death glare.

“Hey, Michael, you’re finally back!” Geoff said by way of a greeting. “We thought you might have been dead. How was the journey?”

“You called _that_ an incredibly important package?” He snapped, not even bothering to tell them what he was referring to, because Geoff was already starting to chuckle. 

“He could have sent you with an anvil,” Jack said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. “Burnie probably needs a new one.”

“Holy shit,” Geoff gasped, apparently in wonder. “I never thought of that!”

“Oh yeah, thanks for fucking going easy on me,” Michael said sardonically.

“Hey, I could have sent you out with nothing at all,” Geoff reminded him, taking a sip of his drink. “So seriously, how was the trip?”

“Fucking _fantastic_ ,” Michael replied – he’d thought about how he should summarize his travels without saying he’d met a bunch of crazy bird-people in the middle of the forest the entire way here. They’d never believe him if he tried telling them about Gavin. “I’m going to have a sore back for weeks, because the damn road through the canyon was blocked and I had to go through the fucking forest.”

“The forest full of beasts?” Geoff raised his eyebrows, and the attention of the rest of the group was caught as well. “And you’re still kicking around, that’s pretty impressive.”

“I almost got ripped apart by the wolf beasts in there all right,” Michael reached into his pack and pulled out two envelopes – one from Burnie and one from Gavin – and tossed them on the table. “Which reminds me, those are for you.”

Geoff leaned forward and picked up the envelopes. “Well, here’s Burnie’s… what’s the other one?”

“Read it and find out.”

Geoff opened Burnie’s letter first, laughing almost evilly as he read its contents. He seemed satisfied by it though, and he set it aside in favour of the other envelope. Jack read the message with him over his shoulder.

“You were really working it, weren’t you?” Geoff asked as he read the letter a second time. “Saved a traveller _and_ escorted him back to Vegas.”

“One of Gus’ guys, too,” Jack added. 

Geoff looked around the table at the rest of the mercenaries, apparently gauging their reactions; Jack nodded Ryan shrugged, and Caleb grinned widely. Michael waited patiently – not only did he actually deliver the damn rocks, he did anther mission at the same time and proved that he could handle the danger in the forest. There was _no way_ they could turn him down. “Well, Michael,” Geoff took a large gulp from his mug. “I gotta say, you did pretty good with the little missions, but go damn it-”

“It was supposed to be a prank,” Jack finished. The mercenaries chuckled.

“We were going to accept you whether you got it done or not,” Ryan added. Michael frowned.

“Are you serious?”

”Yeah,” Geoff nodded. “You’re killer with a blade and good keeping people safe. That’s two of the most important things we need, and now you just proved that you can follow orders, even–” he paused to laugh again, “–even the most ridiculous ones, and you’re not averse to taking additional missions.”

“So, what you’re saying is… I delivered the Box of Destiny for nothing?”

The Achievement Hunters all stared at him like he was crazy for a moment before they cracked up. “Is that what you called it? The ‘Box of Destiny?’”

Michael felt himself grow hot in the face, cursing himself for letting Gavin’s nickname for the box slip through. “Shut up! I thought this whole thing relied on that last mission! And now that I know it didn’t…” He turned to Geoff and jabbed his finger toward him. “I’m gonna get you back for that, I hope you know that. Even if you kick me out right now, I’m still getting my fucking revenge.”

Geoff did not seem daunted in the least. In fact, he leaned back in his chair, gave Michael a lopsided grin, and said, “Fucking bring it.”

\--

“ _And that was how I joined the Achievement Hunters.”_

“ _That’s it?”_

“ _Yeah, that was fucking it. Then they all started placing bets and shit, and then they sat me down and told me that it’d be pointless to leave me behind when they do their next mission.”_

“ _Oh… why would they have left you behind?”_

“ _Because I was the rookie. You don’t take a rookie out on their first actual mission if it’s really dangerous.”_

“ _Wyverns aren’t dangerous.”_

“ _You have wings, asshole, and kick ass weapons. Did we have either of those? Fuck no. wyverns can be dangerous as fuck. Have you seen their teeth?”_

“ _But not as much as dragons.”_

“ _Definitely not.”_

“ _So you proved yourself with the Box of Destiny, and they let you fight a wyvern?”_

“ _No, I proved myself doing two missions and surviving the forest of murder all at once.”_

“ _Hey, it has a name, and it’s not ‘Murder’.”_

“ _Yeah, and it’s also in a language nobody can speak. Everyone else just calls it ‘the forest’, so to reduce confusion in this thing, we’re going to keep calling it that. But we keep getting off track. You keep distracting me.”_

“ _We have to do the time skip.”_

“ _Yeah, time for a time skip. This one’s a bit of a leap.”_

“ _Let’s see if we can do it under one paragraph.”_

“ _No, we can’t do it under one paragraph. It’ll just look messy like that. We at least have to make it sound good until you come back in.”_

_\--_

His first mission with the Achievement Hunters was tracking down a wyvern terrorizing the farmland around Austin; wyverns were like dragons, but much smaller and snake-like, and without the ability to breathe fire. Despite that, it was still a challenge – sharp claws and horns all over, teeth as large as Michael’s forearm, and wings that it used for knocking them over just as much as for flying. It took two days for them to lure it to a place where they could deal with it, and when it began attacking them, the mercenaries (who spent most of their free time messing with each other) easily fell into their planned battle formation and retaliated. 

And their plan worked miraculously well for all that they’d had a couple drinks beforehand. 

It was after that mission that Michael knew he was staying for a while; he’d worked with one member or another earlier, but never in a group like that. The thrilling feeling was amazing, and he loved the team’s dynamic. To cut it down to one sentence; it was awesome. It was so much more than he anticipated. The sensations and the places he’d never dared to go before – because he was only one man then, but now he was finally achieving his goal.

They didn’t just take marks like wyverns either. Michael had often seen them out and about, but only now did he realize just how many people were asking for their help. As the days passed, they did every mission from taking out a flock of crazed harpies near the coast, to herding beasts away from the corn fields, to simply fixing the crumbling wall around a man’s cow fields. Nobody wanted the cows getting out. 

They didn’t mind it either when he went raging around the field after missing an easy kill, or getting smacked with a beast’s tail, or anything else like that. If anything, they encouraged it. Apparently they needed the “liveliness” of it, especially when they were far from Austin. Sometimes they travelled north a ways, or to the coast, or dangerously close to the mountain range that stretched all across the south, the one he clearly remembered being marked _Hic Sunt Dracones_ on Gavin's map.Here there are Dragons.

He struggled to keep that from Geoff and his comrades. He didn’t know if they already knew what lurked there, but if he gave something away about the forest, he wasn’t sure how they would react. And the forest always came with the thoughts of dragons. Michael couldn’t help but wonder how the Alati were doing, if they were still having problems, or if the aid from Vegas had helped them at all. When he was alone (which wasn’t very often), he drew out the map sometimes that they’d apparently allowed him to keep. 

And when they encountered a difficult challenge, especially one of the flying beast species, Michael remembered Gavin’s dagger, green and silver and wickedly sharp, and he imagined it shooting out suddenly and downing the beast that the Achievement Hunters had been trying to best for the better part of the day.

It was incredibly wishful thinking, he knew that. Gavin and the rest of his clan had problems of their own – serious problems that didn’t allow them to take two weeks to kill a stubborn beast on the Austin hillside. He could recall the images of their wings and the stupid conversations all the way to Vegas, but he doubted that he’d get an experience like that one again any time soon.

And Besides, the Alati weren't thing only things on his mind.

A month passed since he joined the Achievement Hunters, and all the while, Michael had also been planning his revenge against Geoff. It couldn’t just be any old prank, he learned that fast – the mercenaries went almost out of their way nearly every day to screw around with each other, misplacing their weapons or hiding all the drinks and everything in between. No, Michael needed something elaborate that Geoff wouldn’t be able to catch on to until it was too late. Just like the Box of Destiny. 

He planned his prank carefully, and when it came time to execute it, Michael was almost too giddy to contain it, because he’d been given the perfect chance. Geoff wouldn’t know what the fuck just happened; they’d finish their mission – taking out a couple of great lumbering beasts that appeared to be some kind of mountain cat – and then they’d go home, Michael would slash the rope and it would be beautiful.

There was only one problem with his plan, and Michael never even knew about it until long after it had already happened, after he’d forgotten all about it.

_)_

As the Achievement Hunters surrounded them, the beasts didn’t know what to do. They lunged and circled each other, seeming to protect the other from the humans. If it weren’t for the fact that they’d nearly killed six men and were tearing up the river lands, Michael might have wanted to let them go. But as it were, they were feral creatures that needed to be stopped.

Caleb and Ryan had the task of distracting them, dancing around them just out of reach, striking with a dagger or a spear – their skins were much too tough for arrows. Whenever there was an opening, Geoff would move in with his twin blades and strike quickly, and Jack would take a heavy swing at them as well. But just like the beasts Michael fought with Gavin in the forest, these things weren’t just a couple of cubs; they were large, tough, and formidable. 

Michael’s job was mostly to protect Caleb and Ryan, but he kept a keen eye open for any opening – not that Geoff or Jack were prone to missing. These beasts were strong, but slow, and Michael knew that would be the key to defeating them, but hell if they didn’t have a lot of stamina. 

“Back up, back up!” Geoff shouted as one of the lions swiped at him while its partner lunged at Jack. “They’re going on the offensive – Ryan, Caleb, get back, I’ll cover you – take my place, Michael!” 

“Defense is our best offence right now,” Jack told Michael as they worked to keep the beasts at bay. “Geoff’s going to try a Molotov Cocktail on them, get ready for that.”

“Gotcha,” Michael held his blade with both hands, using it as a shield against the heavy claws of the beast. He’d only seen Geoff mix up a cocktail once before, but that was enough to know that he wasn’t a fool with a grenade in his hand. “It probably won’t do much on their hide, but they’ll still be stunned, right?”

“Exactly,” Jack flashed a grin, satisfied with Michael’s steadily expanding knowledge of beasts. After a moment of dodging and blocking, Michael and Jack both leaped away as Geoff’s Molotov Cocktail flew over their heads, landed between the beasts, and then promptly exploded. They roared in pain, but as Michael expected, their seemingly unnaturally thick hide saved them from lasting harm – yet they were stunned as well, stumbling around each other and shaking dirt and debris from their manes. On Geoff’s order, Jack swung his axe into one’s shoulder, and one of Caleb’s daggers flew and got lodged in the hind leg of the other.

One beast went down, silenced by a strike from one of Geoff’s blades, and the other merely growled, hardly limping despite the dagger in its haunches.

“Tough bastard, that one,” Geoff said as the team returned to their previous formation. He and the beast circled each other slowly, eyes locked. Blood ran down Geoff’s right arm, but he barely seemed to notice. “Back me up, Jack.”

But it all went downhill from there, and the words were hardly even out of Geoff’s mouth before the beast let out a mighty, earsplitting roar – before he could stop himself, Michael had dropped his blade to cover his ears, but there was still a ringing left behind, and his vision shook. Somewhere to his left, Caleb was just as stunned as he was, but Michael didn’t think about that, because it wasn’t Caleb’s face that was about to be torn to ribbons.

Geoff had managed to keep his blades in his hands, but when he tried to evade the lion beast’s claws, he stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. The beast leaped again, and Geoff held one of his blades like a shield above him as he grappled with the animal. It was only when Jack’s axe spun through the air, tearing its flank and knocking it off balance that Geoff was able to escape.

As Geoff rolled away and struggled to stand, Michael picked his blade up again and started a mad dash toward the beast – the beast was preparing to lunge, Jack was weaponless and Geoff unsteady, and even though Michael pushed himself harder, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to attack fast enough. Geoff was going to take an even heavier injury, and he knew it, too. He pulled himself into a defensive position, preparing for impact as the beast jumped through the air, claws outstretched – and then something whistled past Michael’s ear, and with a strangled yelp, the creature fell to the ground only inches from Geoff’s feet.

Everyone froze, surprised, stunned at the sudden fall of the beast. Geoff slowly got to his feat, staring at the body, but the lion didn’t even twitch. It was dead. 

“What the fuck was that?” He asked, apparently to know one, because no one else knew what to say, either. None of them had seen it coming. Michael squinted, edging closer. Something was protruding from the lion’s front, glinting in the late afternoon sun – he blinked and rubbed his eyes, just to make sure he wasn’t suffering from the lasting effects of disorientation. He wasn’t. That was the hilt of a dagger stuck deep into the beast’s chest; long and silver and green and, if it had pierced the beast’s flesh so easily, extremely sharp. Definitely not one of Caleb’s. 

No way. It couldn’t be – 

The silence was shattered with a loud, accented, and over joyous shout, “ _Michael!_ ”

And before he knew it, something collided with Michael’s back, and the Achievement Hunters all turned to stare at him with identical looks of shock. Michael stumbled forward a few steps and dropped his sword again, and before he could try to throw off whatever was clinging to him, various shades of green danced around his peripherals, and he found himself thinking – God fucking _damn_ it, it _is_. 

“ _Gavin_ ,” he roared. “Damn it, we fucking talked about this – this isn’t a hug!”

There was no doubt that it was Gavin, the same Alati he parted ways with a month ago. Gavin laughed in his ear and didn’t even seem to consider unwrapping his limbs from Michael’s torso. 

“But it’s been so long!” Gavin told him cheerfully, apparently completely unconcerned by the fact that the Achievement Hunters were all staring at him like they’d seen – well, like they’d seen a person with a giant pair of wings on their back. “And I had to go through the trouble of tracking you down because you weren’t at your base!”

“What – you were at our base? Damn it; don’t tell me you were snooping around there.”

“Last night I was there, but you weren’t, and I didn’t go snooping around anywhere!” Gavin gave Michael’s shoulders a final squeeze and then let him go. “And this old man told me you went down to the river, and here I am!”

“I see that,” Michael sheathed his sword and turned to face Gavin. For the most part, he hadn’t changed at all since Michael had last seen him. His was still smiling, his nose was still gigantic, his wings were still longer than he was tall, and his skill at tossing daggers didn’t seem to have diminished. In fact, the only difference at all was the strip of white that wrapped around Gavin’s head – a bandage covering a wound.

“Where did you get that?” Michael reached up impulsively to turn Gavin’s head, trying to find exactly where the injury was. The gods only knew why Gavin needed a head injury on top of his idiocy. Gavin leaned away when his fingers brushed over his temple over his right eye.

“That’s why I came to find you guys,” Gavin said.

“What, you think I can kiss it better for you?” Michael snorted, and then realized what Gavin just said. He gestured to the whole group. “Wait, you came looking for all of us?”

Gavin nodded, and at that point, Geoff appeared to snap out of his trance. 

“Okay, hold on,” he said. He approached warily, eyes flickering back and forth from Michael, to Gavin’s wings, to Gavin himself, but he kept his blades sheathed. “What exactly is going on here, Michael? Who is this guy, and… why does he…” He made a loose gesture to Gavin’s wings, unsure of what to say. Michael understood the feeling.

He also understood that he was quite possibly in a big heap of trouble. He never said anything to them about Gavin or any of the Alati, and now one of them was standing in front of them (and Gavin wasn’t even trying to hide his wings beneath his cloak). He sighed and faced the group, all of whom wore similar expressions – Michael wondered if they thought Gavin was a type of beast. 

“Why do I get the feeling that you omitted a big chunk of your story?” Jack asked dryly. 

“I didn’t _omit_ it, so to speak,” Michael explained, shrugged uncertainly. “I just… twisted the truth a little. When that letter said I helped one of Gus’ employees back to Vegas… It wasn’t one of Gus’ people; it was, uh, it was Gavin. I met him in the forest, and then he needed an escort to Vegas.”

“A guy with wings needed an escort?” Caleb asked slowly. Michael rolled his eyes.

“He was injured! The beasts in that forest – God damn, they were nasty!”

Geoff held his hand up for silence, and then crossed his arms. He stared at the couple before him. After a few false starts he just shook his head and said, “Okay, this isn’t something to be discussing in the middle of a field, covered in blood. We’ll clean up these beasts, and then make camp by the river, and by the time we get that done, you better have your story straight, Michael.”

Michael nodded stiffly, and the others murmured in agreement. They dragged the two fallen beasts together, and while Ryan gathered material for a fire, Caleb darted forward and took both his own iron dagger, and Gavin’s green-metal blade. They all kept glancing at Gavin, especially when Caleb held his dagger up, watching the green and silver glinting strangely, and Michael knew that it was the first time any of the Achievement Hunters had seen green-metal. 

Gavin thanked Caleb quietly when his dagger was returned to him. He wiped the blood from it and sheathed it, and then stepped back again, letting the mercenaries do their work. When the beasts were nothing more than bones, ashes, and embers, they buried the remains and moved on to the river and prepared their camp. 

There was a little tension in the air, but Gavin didn’t seem to mind the fact that he was being stared at. He just shrugged and said quietly, “It’s like when you went to talk to the chief. It’ll be fine.”

“Did she send you here?” Michael asked, and he knew at once that she hadn’t because Gavin grinned sheepishly.

“Er – she probably knows by now that I’m here, but no, she didn’t send me. I came on my own.”

“Why? What’s going on?”

“I’ll explain in a minute.”

As the sun drifted closer to the horizon, Michael wondered what was happening in the forest. Gavin had come here alone, injured, and apparently without any permission at all. If they were having aid from Vegas, then why was Gavin searching for the Achievement Hunters?

“All right, gather round,” Geoff said, direction everyone to sit around the small fire as twilight fell. He sat directly across from Michael, and there was a moment of silence as Gavin attempted to find a comfortable position for his wings. 

“You want to settle down now?” Michael muttered after feathers brushed his shoulder for the third time.

“Sorry.” Gavin faced the men around him when his wings finally stilled. He smiled. “Hello.”

“Uh, hi…” Geoff watched him over the sparks dancing up from the flames. “So, then, what’s the story here?”

“Story time.”

“Shut up, Gavin,” Michael prodded Gavin with his elbow. “Okay, the first little bit was true, I swear. The road through the canyon was blocked, and when I went through the forest, I got lost.”

“And he threw a rock at me,” Gavin added.

“Will you shut your mouth for a minute so I can tell my damn story?” Michael turned back to Geoff and took a breath, but Caleb spoke before him.

“Why’d you throw a rock at him?”

Michael sighed; this was already going downhill. “As I was trying to find the right path, I heard something behind me.” He paused there, just in case anybody else wanted to interrupt. They didn’t, so he continued. “I thought it was some beast, and I wasn’t really in a position to fight, so I thought the rock would scare it away. It turns out Gavin was following me, though.”

“And you smacked me right in the head.”

“Well, that’s your fault for following me around.”

The rest of the story fell in after that. Any lasting tension in the air seemed to dissipate as he talked, Gavin interjecting occasionally to tell his side of the story, and Caleb had to hold back a laugh every time Gavin said something stupid and bickered with Michael on a completely irrelevant point in the tale. 

He told them about meeting Gavin in the forest, about fighting the beasts and saving Gavin’s life. He told them about being injured and, with some reluctance, about the village of Ad Lucem hidden deep in the trees – 

“You mean there’re more of you!?” 

“Yeah, Caleb, there’s more of them.”

And Gavin explained the trouble they’d been having with the beasts, and the lack of contact with their sister clan – 

“How many of you are there?”

“Later, Caleb!”

When Michael told them about why the Chief of Ad Lucem wanted him to escort Gavin to Vegas, he heard Geoff mutter something about Gus, and Michael also wondered how long this had been kept a secret, and how many people knew of it. But it wasn’t his place to give it away to whoever he wanted to, he said, which is why he kept it a secret from the Achievement Hunters. He also hadn’t expected Gavin to appear so suddenly, either.

When Michael finally finished speaking, night had fallen completely, and Gavin began staring at the stars above as they waited for a reaction from the four men around the fire. Caleb had a wide eyed expression still, Ryan looked to be considering the story still (even though he still had that annoying tilt to his lips, making it hard to tell what he was really thinking), and Geoff – Geoff looked like he needed a drink. Jack was the only one who looked completely calm, face almost blank, which Michael found himself thankful for. Jack was usually able to separate the facts from bullshit, and with Gavin sitting right in front of him, he probably didn’t see any reason to think Michael was still leaving anything out. 

“You’re not going to give me the boot, are you?” Michael asked after several long, silent minutes passed. Geoff blinked a few times, looking almost taken aback by the idea.

“What? No,” he frowned. “Why would I do that?”

“Uh… because of…” Michael wasn’t sure how to say it, so he just pointed to Gavin, hoping his point would get across.

“Well, if it was some kind of random homeless guy out to steal my coins, probably,” Geoff heaved a sigh and reached into his pack, pulling out a flask and taking a swig from it. “But as it stands, I’m not about to just brush off the fact that this guy just saved my life an hour ago.”

It was such a simple answer, and so _Geoff_ that Michael was surprised he hadn’t considered it. Gavin _did_ just save his ass, and Geoff definitely wasn’t the kind of guy to forget something like that so soon.

“So, all that’s left now is the reason why you’re here,” Ryan said, leaning forward slightly. The others nodded and also turned to Gavin, who took another few seconds to admire the stars before speaking.

“Well, when me and Michael were going to Vegas, he told me about of a lot of things, and I think he could have gone on for hours about you guys.” He grinned and made animated gestures with his hands. “Achievement Hunters this, Achievement Hunters that-“

“Get on with it, Gavin,” Michael growled as Geoff smiled. 

“I am, I am! Okay, you guy are mercenaries, right? You help people?”

“Yeah,” Geoff nodded. “That sums it up. So, you came all the way out here because you need our help?”

Gavin’s grin faded a little. “Yeah, big time.”

Michael frowned. “What’s happened since you got back from Vegas?”

“Well, let’s just say that the beast infestation hasn’t gotten any better,” Gavin pursed his lips and brushed his fingers over his bandage absentmindedly. “In fact, it’s probably gotten worse since you left. It’s definitely because of something in the mountains, we know that for sure now, but we don’t exactly have any hands to spare to send a party up there and check it out. The clan in Ad Astra might be trying to do something, but we still haven’t gotten any contact with them, either.

“And I told the Chief about you guys, but she… she said something about not wanting to bring more attention to this problem than we already have. But if this drags on any longer, the people from Vegas aren’t going to be able to keep what they’re up to in the woods a secret from everyone else…”

“Then why did you disobey your Chief’s order and come find us?” Geoff asked, the creases in his forehead deepening. Michael had seen that expression plenty of times – even if it wasn’t an advisable course of action, some part of Geoff still wanted to find a way to fix the problem. 

“Well, she had a point, the village – I don’t think they’re really ready for the world to know they’re there, not on such a large scale, at least. A few people at a time, you know? But here is what I was thinking,” Gavin leaned closer to the fire, looking hopefully at the group. “I thought if I could get _you guys_ to help us, then we wouldn’t have to shorten the number of Guardians in the forest. We could send just a couple, and _you guys_ could form the rest of our party!”

Once again, the group fell silent. Gavin watched them all unblinkingly, waiting for an answer. The first to speak was Caleb.

“Us?” He said, pointing at himself. “You want _us_ to help you, and be like your guard to the mountains?”

Gavin nodded quickly.

“We’ve never been there before,” Jack informed him. “The beasts there aren’t exactly known for their friendliness, and unless someone gives us a mark we don’t even venture near the range. And since there’s not a village that we know of – or at least one that needs our help, I guess – we’ve had no reason to climb up there.”

“But I’ve been there,” Gavin said. “Every Alati that knows how to fly has been around there at least once. I can help you around there.”

“Just you?” Michael cut in. “I mean, not that you can’t handle yourself in a fight, but considering the fact that nobody else seems to have had success with whatever is going on up there… Are you seeing the problem here?”

“I’m not even a real Guardian, of course it wouldn’t be just me. Griffon’s going, too – er, well, that’s if… you guys will agree to help us.”

This time Gavin watched Geoff for his reaction. As the leader of the Achievement Hunters, he was the one who would decide what they were going to do, whether or not they would hear Gavin’s plead or not.

 _Say yes_ , Michael found himself thinking. He’d heard the story, seen its effects first hand. Ad Lucem, and possibly Ad Astra on the other side of the mountains, both were in trouble. Mercenaries helped people in trouble, and Michael wasn’t going to let Geoff ignore this. 

Forget the prank; forget the fact that none of them are actually Knights, nothing equivalent to the Alati Guardians. His _friend_ came all this way to ask them for help.

Finally, Geoff rubbed his eyes with one hand, raised his flask to his mouth with the other, and then said, “We’ll return to Austin.” Michael opened his mouth to say something – something angry and probably involving a curse – but then Geoff continued:

“The time’s come to see just how tough you guys are – look like we’ve got some heavy shit ahead of us.” 

The anger in Michael’s chest disappeared as fast as it had come. Relief replaced it, and he felt a grin spread over his face. Gavin leaped up with joy, and instead of simply walking around the fire, he spread his great wings – causing Caleb and Michael to scramble away as fast as they could before they got a mouthful of feathers – lifted himself off the ground, over the flames, and then back down to envelop Geoff in a hug. 

\--

“ _I’ll be completely honest with you – I was happy as shit when Geoff agreed to help you.”_

“ _I was really happy, too.”_

“ _Yeah, I saw that. You singed your feathers there a little bit.”_

“ _I was kind of scared that he’d say no, and then I’d have to go back to the village, and maybe we’d still be sitting there like a duck squished by a dragon.”_

“ _Nah, even if he didn’t say it right there, I think Geoff would have come to his senses at some point.”_

“ _Agreeing to go on what was possibly a gigantic suicide mission is considered coming to your senses?”_

“ _In the human world? Oh yeah. Definitely. Now then, dear readers, now that Gavin has returned and the Achievement Hunters are on board, we’re nearly ready to move on to our next deed, and before you know it, we’ll be climbing a god damn mountain.”_

“ _Hey, I left and came back all in one chapter, did you notice that?”_

“ _You left in the last chapter. And while we’re on the subject, why don’t you take a look at what we just wrote, and tell me how the fuck we were going to fit that all in two paragraphs?”_

“ _We could have fit the retelling in one paragraph.”_

“ _What the hell is wrong with a little elaboration?”_

“ _Nothing, but you’re the one who said we only had a limited amount of pages!”_

“ _Yeah, well, we can get some more if we run out.”_

“ _And then you can have more time to talk about the first time you tried to prank Geoff.”_

“ _You… Fuck you, you stupid idiot. I’m never going to forget that. I can’t believe you fucked up my prank. But that’s next chapter.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're probably wondering where the hell Ray is. Seriously, I know, why isn't Ray with the Achievement Hunters, man? This is one of the reasons this chapter took so long - I had two possible routs to take this story in, and I didn't know which one to take. I eventually decided that having Ray in at this point of the story, while it would be an obvious choice as he is one of the most popular AH guys, did not seem as good as an idea as Plan B. 
> 
> So, I went with Plan B, and Ray will not be part of the Achievement Hunters, but he will still have a pretty important role later in the story. Ray will be coming in somewhere within the next three-five chapters(depending on how fast this moves), and his entrance will be so awesome that it won't even be funny. In truth, you'll probably do a face palm when he comes in, that's how corny it'll be.
> 
> But in this case, corny is more entertaining than anything.


	7. The Gimmick and the Gambit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Achievement Hunters and Gavin discuss the situation with more detail, and prepare for their journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a filler this time, but god damn, I am on a roll this week! This is also nearly the half way point of the story (it's not really that long), so things will start moving much faster from this point, I think.

Gavin was the first one to speak. The six of them stood in front of the Achievement Hunters’ headquarters, keeping a safe distance away from the door, and each of them had disbelief written across their faces.

“Oh,” Gavin said, dragging it out like he’d made some life changing realization. “That was what the rope was for.”

“God damn it, Gavin,” Michael said under his breath.

“Michael,” Geoff didn’t look at him as he spoke. “Is there a specific reason that the front of our base is covered in bees?”

“Not that it doesn’t add anything to the decor,” Ryan commented, watching the black and yellow insects crawling around on the pale blue stone walls as if he were admiring a piece of art.

Instead of answering Geoff, Michael turned to glare at Gavin, who was trying not to laugh (and failing miserably). “You said you weren’t doing any snooping around!”

“Well, I wasn’t running around _inside_ ,” Gavin shrugged. “I tripped over a rope and got tangled in it, and I thought it was just a piece of rope, so I cut it.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Michael clenched his hands tightly at his sides, refusing the strong urge to punch Gavin. The air was filled with the sound of buzzing as bees flew to and from the door, which was covered in a thick layer of honey. The lawn, shrubs and walkway before the door were also quite sticky. 

He’d hidden a dispenser in the bushes around the building that would only be tripped if the rope attached to it was cut. But somehow, before Gavin made his way to the river lands east of Austin, somehow he had located the rope and cut it himself. What a load of bullshit.

“How are we supposed to get inside?” Caleb asked. Like the rest of them, he wasn’t particularly fond of bees.

“This is where a gap would come in handy.” Gavin said, looking pointedly at the roof that didn’t have a hole in it.

“None of us have wings, dipshit, and I don’t think you’re strong enough to carry all of us,” Michael sighed, and Geoff, who seemed to have come to his own conclusion, began laughing loudly. It was higher in pitch the longer he went, and the sound carried far down the street. Michael looked around, just in case there was anybody too close; Gavin’s wings were folded and hidden under his cloak, but he still had a distinctly hunchbacked appearance. He was also an unfamiliar face in Austin and Michael didn’t want him to draw a lot of attention. 

That would only bring more witnesses to the giant mess in front of them. 

“Who remembers where the key to the back is?” Jack stepped off the path, giving the front door a very wide berth as he began picking his way through the overgrown hedges. Geoff, still cackling, followed him and the rest fell in behind. 

“Was that your revenge?” Ryan asked as they turned the corner around the side of the building. “Well, thanks, now we have our own bee hive.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Michael snapped, though it didn’t have any malice in it. “Nothing was supposed to happen until we got back. It’s not my fault this dingbat screwed it up.”

“I didn’t know that would happen,” Gavin said in his own defence. “I’m sorry, Michael.”

“If that had actually hit me,” Geoff paused to catch his breath. “It would have taken forever to clean up.”

“That was the point,” Michael grumbled.

“So I guess I have Gavin to thank for that – you saved me again!”

Gavin, apparently very entertained with Michael’s failed plan, laughed along with everyone else. Michael shook his head – annoyed as he was that his plan didn’t work, a smile was fighting its way on his face anyway. They had their own temporary bee hive; maybe they could use that to ward off any unsavoury characters. 

“How are we going to get them off?” Caleb asked as Jack unlocked the back entrance. Geoff shrugged.

“Without getting stung like hell? Honestly, I have no fucking clue.”

\--

“ _The_ only _upside that that was the fact that I made it way harder for everyone to get in and out of the building; Caleb hates bees and apparently Geoff was convinced he’d somehow get one in his beard.”_

“ _But you didn’t get any honey in his beard. Or anyone’s beard. And you also infested the front room with ants looking for more honey.”_

“ _Don’t remind me.”_

\--

“Well, grab a stool for your Alati friend,” Geoff said as they filed into the conference room. “Did I say that right? _Alati_?”

Gavin nodded, and when the Achievement Hunters plus Gavin were all seated around the table, Jack spoke up.

“All right then, you guys have given us a summary of what you were up to, but what we need now are details. We need to know what it is we’re trying to do. What do you actually know about this mission, Gavin?”

Gavin rested his hands on the table, and then began twiddling his thumbs as he spoke. “Okay… where should I start…?”

“We know the forest is a bloodbath right now,” Michael prompted. “There are how many units from Vegas? Three? Small ones, though.”

“Only enough so that they can keep up the story of doing research on the beasts there,” Gavin said. “It’s just enough so that we can split the Guardians evenly between protecting the village and building up defences around it. We can’t just sit behind barricades forever, though. The Guardians want to strike at the root of the problem, but before they can do that we have to figure out what exactly the problem is. And the problem with _that_ is that we don’t have anyone with enough experience to form a good enough recon party to test the winds with.”

“And so you immediately thought of us?”

“Well, it’s not like I know anyone else outside the forest,” Gavin shrugged. “And Michael said you were some of the best fighters.”

“I said they were the best mercenaries,” Michael corrected him, ignoring Jack’s pointed look. “But forget that for now, keep going.”

Gavin nodded and glanced at the faces around the table. “This is what I know right now – they might have something else by the time we get back to the village. So far, we’ve managed to get a couple people to go to the foot of the mountain and see what’s going on there. They’re purely recon guys though, so if they saw anything dangerous, they came right back.”

“So you’ve just been edging as close as possible without actually getting into anything, in other words,” Geoff said. “Just watching through a telescope.”

“Pretty much; the thing is, none of them got very far at all – _but_ , they _did_ figure out why the beasts in the forest are all whacked, and why it’s spread north, too. It’s like… it’s like wolves fighting over territory.”

“Wait, wait,” Michael held his hand up for pause. He thought back to the beasts he fought in the woods, the injured Alati he saw in passing, the wound on Gavin’s forehead. “This is all because some beasts are fighting over territory?”

“That’s the base of it, yeah.” Gavin nodded again, looking worried. “It’s sad, really. What they found was – all the beasts that we’re seeing in the forest now, they’re native to the mountains and the plains on the other side, but they’re being forced north, and because of that, the beasts that are already here – well, you get the point, right? The beasts from the south are coming here and trying to take out everything else, because something in the mountains is scaring them all off.”

“And have your scouts figured out what that is yet?” Geoff asked. The room fell silent. 

“We have a pretty good guess,” Gavin replied quietly. He turned to Michael, “Do you still have the map we gave you?”

Michael frowned, unsure of what that had to do with anything. “Yeah… why?”

“Can you get it?”

It was rolled up on the table next to Michael’s bed. When he returned with it, Gavin spread it out, smoothing the corners and weighing the corners down. The Achievement Hunters all leaned forward to see it – it wasn’t like any map they’d seen; it was much more detailed, marked with words that were just gibberish to them.

“This is where all of the beasts are coming from,” Gavin explained, pointing to a wide area, covering the southwestern region of the continent. “And they’ve pretty much invaded the forest, and apparently they’re spreading all the way up to Vegas, too. And this is what the chief thinks is causing it.”

His finger landed right under the bold words stretching over the mountains. _Hic Sunt Dracones_.

“What do those words mean?” Jack asked, an echo of Michael when Gavin first showed him the map. As he read the words over, Michael remembered his conversation with Gavin, and a strange mix of dread and excitement filled him. _Here there are Dragons. There are dragons in the south._

“Dragons,” he choked out, and the room became so still that it seemed like no one was even breathing. 

“Dragons,” Geoff repeated roughly. 

“But – there are only dragons in the Glacier Range, way, way to the north,” Jack said. Gavin gave him an apologetic look.

“Humans haven’t ever gone too far south, have they?”

“If we’ve never noticed fucking _dragons_ there?” Geoff shook his head, his face a little pale. “Definitely not.”

The Achievement Hunters exchanged mixed expressions, looking from one to the other, to their leader and then to Gavin – the first Alati they’d ever met, who they didn’t even know existed until now, and who was asking them for help against a problem that has plagued Ad Lucem for three months now. 

“Well then,” Ryan said after a moment, falling against the back of his chair. “This changes the picture a bit.”

“Let me think for a moment here,” Geoff said, rubbing his chin and giving the map, the _Hic Sunt Dracones_ , grave glances. Seconds passed in heavy silence and Michael could hardly tear his eyes away from the ink before him.

“ _I don’t want some plain, domestic life. I want to_ achieve _something.”_

Well, here was his chance, practically handed to him on a silver platter – but _god damn_ if his heart wasn’t racing in his chest, pounding against his rib cage. Saying something is easy, he thought, but doing it was way harder. Hell, just getting the _chance_ was enough to inject fear in him; fear and a thrilling feeling in his veins, too.

“We don’t have to kill it, do we?” Caleb spoke up for the first time. “I mean, you said it was only a guess, so we don’t actually have to _kill_ it.”

“There’s that,” Gavin said, shrugging. “But there isn’t really much else up there, especially not something that could cause a problem like this.”

“He has a point,” Jack added. “Beasts aren’t known for being afraid of much; they’ll defend their homes to the death if they have to fight, it doesn’t matter what type it is. Whatever is in those mountains has got to be really powerful, at least, if it’s forced so many other things out of their lairs. Although, how you expect us to be able to deal with it…”

“Well, you guys are mercenaries-”

“Yeah, we’re _mercenaries_ ,” Geoff cut in. “We’re not Knights, we’re not in the army or anything.”

“But you have the _skills_ ,” Gavin answered quickly. He pursed his lips for a split second, hesitating. “Okay, this is a little embarrassing, but – you guys have skills that a lot of Guardians in Ad Lucem _don’t_ have. We’re a bunch of isolationists who’ve lived with those beasts for centuries. The Guardians don’t have enough experience working with other species, especially not in large numbers.”

“Ah, okay, okay,” Geoff nodded once, slowly. “I think I see what you mean…You think we’ll be better at adapting to the circumstances, because we have more experience dealing with a variety of situations in the field.”

“Yeah, that’s exactly it.”

Geoff’s features turned blank once more, and Gavin started twiddling his thumbs again. The only sound was the soft whisper of feathers against the floorboards, against each other as Gavin’s wings moved restlessly. They stilled, trembled, stilled, and trembled some more. Michael wondered if it was ever possible for Gavin to fully hide what he felt.

“You said recon party,” Geoff stated a moment later. Gavin nodded. “Your Guardians want to make a plan, but they need more than just a couple guesses.” Another nod. “Then, if it really is a dragon raging around up there for whatever reason, unless we’re trapped with it, we don’t need to kill it.”

“I’d rather leave that to the Guardians, yeah,” Gavin agreed, nodding a third time. 

“But just in case, we should be prepared, right?” Michael added. “If not to fight the thing, then we should at least have some kind of strategy to get away from it. I’m told dragons are huge fuckers, I don’t think running like hell is going to be a good tactic.”

“For that we’ll need to at least see the landscape in person,” Ryan said. “No use hiding behind a cliff that isn’t there.”

“So, you’re coming?” Gavin’s hands stopped and his wings folded tightly behind his back as he waited for Geoff reply. 

“I said that, didn’t I?” Geoff said, frowning slightly. “I, at least, owe you for saving my butt earlier. So long as I get to come back home after everything’s said and done, I’m willing to repay that debt and help you.”

Geoff’s words reminded Michael of the night he and Gavin arrived in Vegas, when he said he’d try his best to find himself in a life threatening situation so that Gavin could repay his life debt. If there was one thing the Alati took seriously, Gavin said, it was honour. There might have been respect in Gavin eyes, because this man he’d known for two days was so willing to uphold that belief.

“I really appreciate this,” Gavin said sincerely. 

“Like you said,” Ryan replied, “we’re mercenaries. So long as we get what’s due and everyone’s happy, we’ll help you.”

“Give us a couple days to get ready,” Geoff added. “And then we’ll set out, clear?”

There were nods all around the table and a simultaneous cheer of, “Clear!”

\--

“ _You looked really excited there.”_

“ _Of course I was excited, Gavin. I mean, yeah, we did just almost sign our death warrants by agreeing, but we do that every single time we take a job. And this wasn’t our average job, either.”_

“ _I’ll say. You told me the Achievement Hunters took jobs like rogue beasts in the farm and things like that.”_

“ _Then why did you come straight to us when you caught wind of a fucking_ dragon _?”_

“ _You didn’t actually think you’d say good bye in Vegas and then be done with us, did you? I still hadn’t repaid my debt!”_

“ _So you decided to enlist me in the most dangerous mission you could think of?”_

“ _Well – I still wanted to find you again at some point, so you were going to meet me again at some point. You’re the one who said you’d try to find a life threatening situation.”_

“ _This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, but okay, I guess you have a point. I probably should have known better than to think that I would never again have the chance to travel with this guy who I previously thought was from some legend I’d never even heard before.”_

“ _Ha.”_

“ _Don’t get used to it, you smug bastard.”_

\--

The next two days seemed to bring more activity in the Achievement Hunters’ headquarters than Michael had ever seen. The first thing they did was rest their aching feet, but as soon as they woke up again, they were in a flurry of action.

They restocked all of their supplies first; they bought new potions and bandages, and new arrows and blades for those they’d broken. The men went in and out from the back entrance, as bees still covered the front, bringing medicines and spears heads back with them. Sometimes a shout or curse could be heard if somebody couldn’t avoid getting near the bees. Gavin stayed inside, organizing and packing everything for them, and Michael sat with him, supervising.

He had to convince Gavin to stay inside the building during the day, despite Gavin’s claims that nothing would happen if he “took a gander over there”. He thought that his wings would be hidden by his cloak, but Michael wasn’t convinced. If anybody asked why he was wearing it, or why he had a hump, or anything else – like where he’d come from, for example – Michael didn’t even want to imagine the story that Gavin would try to come up with. The best solution was to make sure he didn’t wander away.

“But I want to see the town,” Gavin whined as they discussed it.

“You can see it when the streets aren’t full of people,” Michael replied seriously.

“But then it’ll be dark and nothing will be interesting. I can just walk at the side, nobody will talk to me. I’m not that interesting.”

Michael rolled his eyes and stopped himself from whacking him upside the head. “Gavin, you’d be walking around there – some guy with a giant hump under a big cloak, a huge nose, and an accent that none of these people have ever heard. People are nosey ass holes; they’re going to talk to you. Did you _not_ just say that the Alati didn’t want to be revealed to a shit load of people?”

Gavin pouted, but he had no retort against that point. He sighed and stretched his wings across the floor like a large green blanket. Every once and a while he would move around when he had nothing to do, and he’d generate breezes in the room with each small flap of his wings. At some point, Michael caught him giving the ceiling a dark look, like he was personally insulted that it was not high enough so he could lift himself off the floor. 

He also had the bandage on his head removed, since he’d healed enough. They had Caleb check the injury, but he didn’t see any reason to continue wearing a bandage over it. The wound on Gavin’s forehead was only a couple inches long, a jagged scab helped along mostly by Griffon’s medicines, and Caleb assured him that he only needed a bit of gauze to cover it now. When he was finished fixing Gavin’s head, he asked suddenly, “Can I touch them?”

His eyes were glued to Gavin’s feathers; the green hues almost looked like they were shifting and shimmering in the light. Michael had to admit that on a list of exotic things he’d seen as a mercenary, the Alati and their wings were probably way up there, if only for their colours.

Gavin, however, did not seem so receptive to the idea. He drew his wings close to his body, folding them neatly around his shoulders, safe from any fingers that might come near.

“Er – I’d rather you didn’t,” he answered quietly. Michael suddenly remembered when Griffon found them in Vegas.

“Don’t want anybody getting under your feathers, do you?” He asked jokingly, and Gavin became flustered again.

“No,” he said loudly. Then he seemed to gather courage again. “I’m not ready for that commitment yet.”

Caleb only laughed with him and apologized for asking, and when he left again, Michael figured that he was right when he assumed an Alati’s wings were off limit. Or there were at least some innuendos associated with them, which Michael still didn’t really understand.

Gavin sent him a lopsided grin and Michael snorted. Definitely some kind of innuendo. 

_)_

On the second night, Gavin stood in front of them, stretching his wings toward the night sky, happy that he wasn’t cooped up inside their base anymore. The Achievement Hunters were prepared to leave, but he was going early.

“I’ll go ahead and tell the Chief that you’re coming,” he explained. 

“Do you think she’ll be very happy to see us?” Michael asked. Gavin shrugged.

“She’ll probably be pissed that I came to you when she told me not to, but I’m kind of expecting that anyway. I don’t think she’ll mind seeing you, though; you’ve already helped her once. Anyway, it’s like a week or something on foot, but it’ll only take me a couple days to fly there, and I’ll come back and meet up with you.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Geoff agreed. “Bring back whatever news you can, okay?”

Gavin nodded and gave them a wide smile, waving. They watched as he spread his wings out, bent his knees, and then said, “See you, Michael!” before mounting up into the air. Soon he was only a dark smudge against the stars, barely visible, and then he was gone from sight.

And as the Achievement Hunters filed inside again, Geoff chuckled.

“What?” Michael asked, giving him a questioning glance.

“Nothing,” Geoff said, shaking his head. “Nothing at all.”


	8. Returning to Ad Lucem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Achievement Hunters make the journey back to Ad Lucem, and cheesy moments are had on the way. They also meet Griffon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was longer than it was supposed to be. They were actually supposed to get to Ad Lucem and speak with the chief, but they only got to Griffon because I didn't want to drag it on too long. If this keeps up, I might accidentally push Ray's entrance back. On the brighter side, if it gets ridiculous, that might mean I'd end up with fifteen chapters instead of fourteen.

“ _You know, Geoff kept giving me looks for that, like he’d won a bet with Jack or something.”_

“ _Giving you looks for what? When I said good bye to you?”_

“ _Yeah. Man, it’s like he_ knew _.”_

“ _But we weren’t doing anything then. I was just saying good bye to my friend.”_

“ _Yeah, but you only said it to me. Nobody said anything about it, but I think they all started placing bets when we were leaving.”_

“ _I wonder who won.”_

“ _That wasn’t a fucking game, Gavin.”_

“ _I know! It’s just kind of funny. Does Geoff often try to predict the future?”_

“ _I heard he tries when he gets real shit faced. Now, enough of that. We’re back on the road to Ad Lucem – the Achievement Hunters are going to see more than one Alati up close this time.”_

“ _And meet Griffon, too.”_

“ _Oh crap, I almost forgot about that…”_

“ _You placed a bet, didn’t you?”_

“ _Yeah, I did.”_

_)_

The Achievement Hunters set out the morning after Gavin, quickly and quietly, so that there would be no time for people to ask where they were headed next. To those that did manage to catch them, they said that it was a private mission, completely confidential – which, even though Gavin hadn’t said it specifically, it was. 

Gavin himself returned to them three days later, at the fork where the road split into the canyon road that travellers used and the forest road. They’d stopped there to eat and let their horses rest, and there they waited for Gavin.

There were no signs that marked the divergence in the road. The beaten dirt simply became a smoothly paved strip as it descended into the canyon. But, just visible through the overgrowth, there was a cobbled path, abandoned and forgotten long ago; avoided or ignored. It was hardly fit to walk along, even without the weeds and bushes growing over it.

“I wonder what happened,” Caleb said as they dug out their food. 

“What happened where?” Michael asked without looking up from his bread. When he did turn, Caleb was standing at the edge of the road, back turned to the canyon, arms spread out.

“Here,” he replied. “What happened here? If the road was built this far south in the first place, people must have had a reason to come to the forest, but now… It’s kind of sad. It’s probably been decades since anybody’s even walked on it.”

“Probably a lot more than a few decades,” Geoff commented. He stared into the distance as he chewed. Right now, the horizon was flat, but Michael knew that once they went farther south, closer to the forest, it would become jagged as the mountains loomed over the land. “But you have a point; people avoid that forest like the plague.”

“And they aren’t even aware that there are whole villages there,” Ryan added. “It had to be something pretty bad.”

Michael wondered about it, too. He watched the grass, which was almost as tall as he was, and then came to the conclusion that if anybody would know what exactly the history of this place was, it would be the Alati. Saying you were going to take the forest path was like saying you were going to leap off a cliff, but if it was just because of a few mean beasts, then almost every corner of the world would be just as isolated as Ad Lucem. Something else must have happened, either too long ago, or not important enough for humans today to remember it…

“Maybe we should ask when we get there,” he said, finishing off his meal. He stood up and joined Caleb on the beginning of the broken road, tearing weeds and grass away with his foot. He remembered when he had to take this path before, and the cloaked man who’d told him the canyon road was blocked had to show him where it was in the first place. “Maybe there was a battle or something.”

“Maybe there are ruins hidden by the grass somewhere,” Jack said; he had his hand over his eyes to block the sunlight as he squinted along the horizon. “Is anything marked on that map of yours around here?”

“Other than the fork in the road?” Michael shook his head. “Nope. It’s just a big, empty plain.”

“Good setting for a battle, though,” Geoff mused. “Unless the grass was as tall then as it is now. I mean, look at this…” He walked off the side of the road, and it looked like he was wading through water instead of grass. It came nearly to his shoulders. “But then again, there’s a lot of shit you could hide down here.”

“We should have asked Gavin before he left,” Caleb said, chuckling at Geoff’s head bobbing through the grass as he made his way back to the road. “See if he knows the answer to this mystery. I don’t even see any beasts around here.”

“They could be watching you right now,” Michael said into his ear. He lowered his voice. “You can’t see them, but they can see you and they’re just waiting for the right time to jump out of the grass and…”

“Oh god,” Caleb shuddered and backed away from the grass. “I don’t want to be eaten!”

Michael laughed. “Nah, you’re too scrawny, they’d use you as a toothpick instead.”

“Maybe they’re nocturnal.”

“Or they’re just waiting for you to let your guard down. Think about it, they could be gigantic, but they’re just crouching right now, and they could spring any second!”

“That grass looked pretty five minutes ago. Now it’s like a murderous trap waiting for us…” Caleb trailed off, and the mercenaries were silent for a few seconds as Caleb’s words clicked in their minds. “Huh… I guess that’s one of the reasons people are so scared to be out here.”

“They’re aware that there’s a threat, but they can’t _see_ it,” Jack clarified. “That probably is part of it.”

“At least until we get closer to the forest,” Michael reminded him. “Then they just jump right at you.”

“Well, we already know we can handle beasts,” Geoff assured them. He walked back to the two horses that carried their supplies and pat their noses. “So, what do you say? Should we get a move on before the beasts decide they’re hungry?”

“Maybe we should wait a bit,” Jack said. He was still squinting into the distance, and when he pointed at the sky where he was looking, the rest of them turned and noticed a tiny shape in the sky. They watched it closely, and as it flew nearer, it was definitely the shape of a winged figure. It was silhouetted against the clouds and blue sky, but as the wind brought it closer, Michael could pick out green shining in the sun. Gavin was coming to meet them.

Gavin waved as he flew to them, the sound of his wings beating against the air getting louder. The Achievement Hunters watched as he landed on the road a few yards away, almost in awe as they saw nearly the full extension of his wings. Michael was still amazed that Gavin could shake the dust from his feathers and fold his wings behind him so easily despite their size. It was… kind of majestic, actually.

“So, are we good?” Michael asked as Gavin approached the group. “The Chief’s not going to chase us back out with fire and pitch fork?”

Gavin laughed and shook his head. “No. They were still sort of mad, though. Griffon and a couple others are going to be waiting for us when we get to the forest.”

“Still haven’t passed inspection, then,” Michael shrugged. 

“We’ll deal with that when we get there,” Geoff said. “Did your chief know anything else?”

Gavin nodded. There was a wild look in his eyes. “She was right,” he answered. “And they’ve seen it from their telescope, just… raging around up there, spitting fire at the clouds. It’s really weird.”

“Weird?” Ryan repeated. “An angry dragon is weird?”

Gavin nodded again. “Yeah, because dragons only get violent if they have to protect something. _I_ didn’t see it, so I can’t really say much else, but…”

“Is this ever going to stop getting worse?” Jack asked, picking up Gavin’s sentence. “Who the fuck is running around up there pissing off dragons? And why?”

Nobody had an answer, but when Michael met Gavin eyes, another conversation echoed in his mind, and it brought a cold, heavy feeling to his belly. _Superstitious bullshit_ , he found himself thinking once again. If Gavin was on the same thought as him, he didn’t say it. That didn’t make him feel any better. 

“We need to get moving,” Geoff ordered finally, taking the reins of the horses and leading them onto the partially cleared path. “I don’t wanna think about what will happen if this gets worse.”

The rest of the men nodded their agreement and began to follow him, and Gavin took flight again, drifting a few feet above them.

“This region can get pretty dicey, especially at night,” he told them, confirming their suspicions about the beasts in the area. “So just follow me, stay on the track and keep your eyes peeled for… other eyes. The beasts around here are sneaky buggers.”

“I never had problems with the beasts when I went through here,” Michael informed him. Gavin looked surprised at that.

“Really? Get out of here.”

“No, really. I might as well have been on a stroll through the fucking park. I never got attacked until I got into the forest. Besides, don’t you think I could handle the beasts around here, all things considered?”

“How do you know if you can handle them if you’ve never seen them?” Gavin gave him a pointed look, and glanced at the grass whispering all around them. 

“Gavin, you just enlisted my help with a raging goddamn dragon in the mountains,” Michael pointed out. “I mean, holy shit, would you make up your mind? Am I a good fighter or not?”

Gavin looked slightly embarrassed by the way their conversation was going, and Michael could have sworn that he heard Geoff snickering somewhere in the grass. “Okay, you’re a good fighter,” Gavin said. “But just because you didn’t run into anything then doesn’t mean you won’t see something this time! Just don’t let your guard down.”

“I heard you the first time,” Michael said, watching his feet for a few seconds and checking to see that he hadn’t wandered off the broken cobblestones. “My eyes are fucking peeled. In fact, they are so peeled that I think I just saw Geoff trip over a chunk of dirt fifteen feet away from me.”

Their laughter seemed to echo on the wind as they trekked through the chest-high grass. After Geoff finished telling them all to go fuck themselves, and their laughter subsided, Caleb piped up, and began asking Gavin about the plain they were currently in. Why it was so empty, what happened to make it this way, and why the grass grew ridiculously tall.

Gavin, however, apparently did not pay attention when his parents taught him history. His only answers were speculation, like he’d never taken the time to learn the real answer.

“Come on, fill us in here,” Michael prompted him when he said he wasn’t sure. “We’ve got another two and a half days or so in the grass.”

“I can’t give you three days worth of history lessons!” Gavin said, exasperated. “I’m not that old.”

“Being _old_ has nothing to do with it.”

“But now that you’ve brought that up,” Caleb said, craning his neck back to see Gavin above him. “How old are you?”

“I only turned twenty four years old a couple months ago!”

“Hey, don’t distract him – wait a second, that means you’re younger than me.” Michael chuckled and Gavin furrowed his brow.

“No-”

“Yes you are, I’m twenty five. The only person you’re older than here is Caleb.”

“Well then, you’re like… a quarter of the way to a century!”

“Well, crap,” Geoff said from ahead of them. “I hate to think about how close the rest of us are to a hundred.”

When the conversation finally did round back to history, the first thing that Gavin did tell them was that the village of Ad Lucem wasn’t as old as they thought it was. In fact, it apparently wasn’t even there until about two hundred years before.

“We all used to be on the other side of the mountains, in Ad Astra,” he explained. “And I think that the people who migrated here chose the forest because it was already so empty.”

“So you don’t know anything before that?” Ryan asked, still just as curious as the rest of them.

“Not really,” Gavin shrugged. He drifted lower, his toes skimming over the tips of the grass. “The roads that are there, or what’s left of them, at least – they were already there when the village was settled. I think they were already pretty beat up at that point, though; there wasn’t anything left.” 

“That just makes the mystery more mysterious.”

“It’s not like I’m supposed to be writing everything down,” Gavin said. “There’s no great big secret as far as I know, but if you’re really interested, you could ask the chief.”

“How about when she’s not pissed off at us?” Michael suggested. “That could be part of our deal.”

“I didn’t think you were interested in history.”

“Hey, I have interests. My whole life isn’t killing this, that, and another thing. If some shit’s interesting, hell, I’ll learn about it.” 

“Gavin’s interesting,” Caleb chimed in. 

“That’s not what I meant, Caleb,” Michael deadpanned. Geoff began cackling again. 

“You don’t think I’m interesting?” Gavin asked, looking down at Michael. He might have sounded hurt, but there was wide grin stretched across his face. Michael reached up and swatted at his wings, and he veered off into the grass with a shout, lifting himself higher above their heads. “Don’t knock me out of the air, you doughnut!” 

“What are you going to do about it?”

“I could kick you really easily.”

“You’d have to come down here to do it,” Michael smirked as Gavin flew higher still. “Come on, I can take you.”

“I bet I could beat you,” Gavin said confidently.

“Are we betting now?”

“Don’t look at us if you lose all your money,” Geoff called over his shoulder. “We’re not kings here; we don’t have gold for idiots to throw around.”

“What if I paid you in quid?”

“What the fuck is quid?”

“Money!”

“How did we get on this track?” Jack asked as Gavin launched into an explanation on what “real money” was. 

\--

“ _You guys got distracted really easily.”_

“ _That’s because we weren’t doing any important shit. We were just walking. And also, sure, we were on our way to do some dangerous shit, but if we spent the whole time just thinking about that, we’d all go insane. But if a beast jumped out at us right then and there, we’d have been right on the fucking ball, which reminds me – I think you owe me an apology for not believing me when I said I didn’t have any beast trouble the first time through here.”_

“ _But now we know_ why _you weren’t having trouble, so –”_

“ _Hey, don’t say it!”_

“ _I wasn’t going to! I was just going to say that since we know why you weren’t bothered by beasts, it doesn’t really count.”_

“ _How does it not count?”_

“ _Because it wasn’t because of your skills as a swordsman that got you through, it was like third party inter –”_

“ _What the fuck did I just tell you, Gavin? Is this going to be a continuing problem with you? Am I going to have to deal with this shit all the way through? I should have taught you how to do it before we started this.”_

“ _But I’m not saying anything that the reader couldn’t have already figured out. I’m not spoiling anything – if anything, you’re making it worse by dragging it out!”_

“ _I wouldn’t have to keep making a point about it if you would stop fucking it up! So shut up, it’s adventure time now.”_

\--

The beasts in the grasslands were nocturnal.

It was almost three days before they reached the outskirts of the forest, and the two nights that they stopped to rest felt more exhausting to Michael than anything. It turned out that once the sunlight faded completely the beasts woke up to hunt, and while they were surrounded by grass to their shoulders, limiting their sight and movements, the Achievement Hunters had their work cut out for them.

They split into teams of three. Half of them would sleep while the others would ward off the danger, and then they would switch. During that time, Michael might not have been able to see them clearly, but he could sure hear them.

A few of them were the odd wolf beast from the woods, but most of them were more like serpents than anything else. Great scaled things with glowing amber eyes and narrow, sharp fangs, which were nearly impossible to hear until it was almost too late. Fortunately, the Achievement Hunters knew how to adapt to these things; they learned quickly that the quickest way to defeat these beasts was to strike just as they were preparing to lunge forward with their mouths wide open. This time, Michael’s long sword and Ryan’s spears were their best weapons. 

In the morning, when they were all awake and ready to set out again, the grass around them would be slashed down or trampled flat, and the path to the forest would be all the more visible, even with the dark blood and dead beasts.

“Try not to get so close to them,” Michael told Gavin after the first night. One of the beasts the night before had managed to nick him as he tried to swipe its back with his dagger, and he and Caleb were kneeling on the ground as Caleb cleaned and wrapped the cut on his forearm.

“What else am I supposed to do? I can’t exactly use this long range,” Gavin made a wide gesture to the grass surrounding them with his dagger. “They’re quick, and I might end up losing it.”

Sometimes Michael forgot that Gavin didn’t only treasure his dagger for the value of its material. He wouldn’t have it in the first place if his friend Dan, a Guardian of Ad Lucem, hadn’t given it to him. 

“Then at least wait until it’s distracted by me or Jack. Who knows what kind of poisons these things could be using; you don’t want to actually get bit by one.”

“Aw,” Gavin smiled up at him. “Are you going to protect me, my little Michael?”

“Just – don’t be so reckless, okay?” Michael said, laughing. “Don’t go trying to collect their scales for your wind chimes or anything. At least not while they’re alive, anyway.”

“I thought I was the one with a debt to repay.”

“I know, but you can’t exactly do anything about that if you fuck up and get yourself killed, can you? Let’s just work together on staying alive,” Michael replied as he took Gavin’s hand and hauled him to his feet. “And we’ll blow these beasts out of the water. We won’t even need fire, that’s how awesome we’ll be.”

“We’ll be a team,” Gavin chuckled, “you and me, Team Nice Dynamite.”

“Team Nice Dynamite?” Michael lifted one brow. I didn’t occur to him that Gavin would know what explosives were. “Sure, I can go with that; don’t die on me, man.”

_)_

Despite Michael’s warnings, Gavin was still as reckless the next night as he was the first. Luckily, Michael knew that it wasn’t just to piss him off (though maybe some of it was). Gavin simply wasn’t skilled enough to know when he should and shouldn’t have attacked, but Michael and Jack were both quick enough to keep the beast occupied if Gavin slipped up. They also learned to tell the difference between the sound of grass in the breeze and a beast making its way toward them, and Gavin gave them even more warning when he took to the air, spying around them as far as he could in the dark.

And even though they all had a few gashes, cuts, and bruises by the time they finally came to the other side of the grassland, they made it to the forest in one piece. They rejoiced in being able to walk comfortably through the grass again, and gave themselves a few moments rest on the outskirts of the forest, taking cover beneath the trees.

It was peaceful for maybe three minutes.

They heard the growling first, and their horses became even more uneasy than they were the nights the serpent beasts came near. The Achievement Hunters were instantly alert again, prepared to fight what sounded like a pack of wolf beasts, but what emerged through the underbrush was definitely not a wolf.

“Okay, what the fuck is that thing?” Jack was the first to say as the first beast slipped into their path. It moved similarly to a wolf, but that was about it. Its body was larger, leaner, and armoured to boot, and while it did not appear to have large claws or teeth, its multiple sets of horns were something to be reckoned with. It glared at them with black eyes, and its two followers flanking it growled menacingly.

“It’s one of the mountain species,” Gavin told them. He shook his head, “And I honestly have no idea how we’re supposed to kill them. Their armour is like scales and people’s weapons can get stuck pretty easily between them.

“Well then,” Geoff muttered. “I see where your problem is coming from.”

That was all he had time to say before the beasts lunged. The Achievement Hunters scattered, Gavin leaped into the air, and Geoff began shouting orders.

“Ryan, don’t use your spears on these things, see if you can find their weak spot – these things don’t have claws or teeth, but their horns can fuck you up right quickly; Caleb, use your short sword when you get the chance – Michael, same thing – Gavin, distract them as much as you can and Jack and I will keep them off your ass!”

When they knew what they needed to do, the Achievement Hunters, Gavin included, didn’t need words between them to work fluidly. Michael, Caleb and Geoff kept the beasts penned closely, and Jack stood between them and Ryan, and when it looked like somebody might get run through by their horns, Gavin would fly down and strike the beasts quickly with his dagger.

The sound of green metal meeting the armour was almost earsplitting, and it only seemed to leave shallow wounds, and that made Michael worry more. If green metal couldn’t harm these things, what could?

Finally, after many futile strikes at the beasts, Ryan drew an arrow and took aim. “Their eyes,” he yelled, firing the arrow straight into one of the beasts’ eyes. “Aim for their eyes and legs!”

Unfortunately for the rest of them, that was much more easily said than done. Their eyes were guarded by their horns, and to reach their legs, they’d have to get near the horns of another beast. We need to split them away from each other, Michael thought. Geoff appeared to have the same idea, as he ordered them all to back up before he began taunting the half-blinded beast. 

“Keep the others off me,” he ordered Jack and Michael. “Keep shooting their weak spots. When I say ‘go’, get down here, Gavin, and stab this thing!” 

He continued provoking the beast until finally, it roared and raised itself onto its hind legs. Geoff raised both his blades to protect his face as the beast tried to push him back, its face exposed, and he shouted to Gavin, “Now!”

Gavin dropped like a stone with his dagger before him, wincing slightly as the beast’s blood spattered on his skin and feathers. It howled in pain, but when Gavin retracted his blade, it lay still on the ground. 

“Now we’re in business!” Michael cheered. 

“Keep the others distracted,” Geoff said, “make them expose their weak spots.”

At that moment, Ryan fired another arrow into a beast’s hind leg, but the thing only turned its attention to him, snarled at him, and then charged straight for him. 

“Move, Ryan!” Michael shouted, hoping that Ryan would be quick enough. The beast sailed through the air, but before it reached him, Gavin appeared again and body slammed it as hard as he could. As Ryan moved to a safer position, Gavin and the beast tumbled on the ground, and when Gavin tried to break away from it, he yelped and recoiled in pain – his wing was trapped.

Gavin and the beast grappled for control, but the beast was much more powerful. It was going to cut him to ribbons. _No_. Michael saw a second of red, launched himself into the fray, and stabbed his blade as hard as he could – his sword stuck, but he pushed it harder, and before he knew it, the beast was dead. Gavin stared, wide eyed, as Michael shoved the dead creature away.

“Didn’t I fucking tell you not to be reckless?” Michael demanded as he hauled Gavin off the ground. “Aren’t you the one with a debt?”

“Less flirting, more fighting!” Geoff shouted before Gavin could say anything. The last beast was cornered, but it wasn’t backing down. Michael nodded, and he and Gavin concentrated on the battle fully again. They used the same tactic as they had before – Caleb and Ryan distracting and weakening it – and Geoff was the one to deal it a final blow. As soon as the beast tried to retaliate against Jack’s axe, Geoff jumped in and drove one of his blades as far as he could between its horns. 

Geoff knelt to make sure it was dead, and just as Michael was about to applaud him and the outcome of the fight, he heard rustling in the trees and a saw a flash of gold. Geoff saw it, too, and he moved to attack the beast – but it wasn’t a beast, and before he could move so much as a foot, there was a long blade inches from his face. 

“Whoa there,” Griffon warned, sounding more amused than threatening. “Let’s not attack the ally, here.”

The men froze, blinking and trying to make sense of the new Alati’s sudden appearance. Griffon stood just behind Geoff, and it was the first time Michael had seen her with a weapon – a long, curved blade that glinted in the light, and when he looked closer, he saw that it was edged with saw-toothed green metal. If he thought Gavin’s dagger was dangerous, then this thing was twice as bad. Griffon held it almost lazily, though; she didn’t intend to harm Geoff with it.

They’re still testing us, Michael thought.

“That was pretty impressive,” Griffon continued, glancing around at the Achievement Hunters. She smiled at Gavin, and then turned back, examining Geoff’s tattoos. “And you’re the one they call Geoff?”

Geoff nodded and looked at her over his shoulder. “And unless Gavin described some random lady on the street, you’re Griffon. Nice tattoos.”

“Likewise,” Griffon smiled, but didn’t move her blade. “So, Gavin, these are the Achievement Hunters you’ve been going on about?”

“Yeah,” Gavin nodded quickly.

“They dealt with those beasts pretty good. I see Michael saved your ass again.”

“Er – yeah… I’m apparently not making good progress on that debt.”

Griffon chuckled softly. “I reckon you’ll get another chance yet.” 

“Wait, you were watching the whole time?” Geoff asked, frowning. Griffon nodded.

“I was. I wanted to see what you could do for myself.”

“If Michael hadn’t been there, Gavin could have died, you know that?”

“But Michael was there, and Gavin isn’t dead,” Griffon replied smoothly. “You don’t think I’d have interfered before it came to that?”

Geoff only shrugged. “You’re the one with the sword at my neck.”

“I am,” Griffon watched him for a few seconds, both of them completely still. Geoff blinked slowly, almost lazily, but Michael could tell he was ready to roll away if he needed to. Griffon nodded slowly and then stepped back. “But where would that get us?”

“Not very far, I guess,” Geoff replied as Griffon sheathed her serrated blade. He stood up, dusted off his knees, and put away his own weapons. He glanced at her wings, and an easy smile came on her face as she turned to the rest of the men. “You can put your weapons away.”

“Don’t get too comfortable just yet, though,” she told them. “The barricade isn’t for another day’s travel. We won’t get to the village until the day after tomorrow, at least, and you’ll want to be on your toes the whole way there; there are a lot more where those came from.”

The group cast a last glance at the fallen beasts, and Michael gripped his sword tightly in his hand. Going farther into the forest would mean less space available for moving, which would make it harder to fight them off. Not to mention there were more than there was a month ago when he first came through. If he thought going through the plains was tiring – the beasts here weren’t even nocturnal. They’d have to be alert at all times if they wanted to get to Ad Lucem safely. 

“So… We pass?” Caleb asked quietly, apparently intimidated by Griffon. Michael understood that – Griffon cast a sharper shadow than Gavin.

Griffon’s lips twitched up. “You passed me,” she replied. “Don’t worry about the Chief, though. Michael’s worked for her once, and I trust Gavin enough not to bring a bunch of barbarians into the village.”

“We’d be very civilized by barbarian standards,” Geoff commented.

“Would you?” Griffon smirked. “Welcome to the forest, then.”


	9. Blood and Superstition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit gets real and Michael defends Gavin's right to be involved in this whole fiasco.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not really edited again, but at some point it will be. Maybe. Regardless, shit's going down. It's coming, guys, soon...

“ _Well, here we are again. Welcome back, everyone, to Ad Lucem. And this time, I’ve got pretty good reason to call it the forest of murder.”_

“ _Don’t make fun of it.”_

“ _I’m not making fun of anything. I’m warning them – this is not the time to be laughing at shit. I mean, sure, I didn’t like it when the villagers were glaring at me and all that, but holy hell, this is not something I would have done to get back at them.”_

“ _That’s because you’re a good person, Michael.”_

“ _Are you getting sappy on me? Don’t get sappy on me, man. That will just make telling this part of the story harder. Prepare yourselves, because shit’s about to get real.”_

_)_

If Michael thought the journey through the grasslands was tiring, he obviously hadn’t yet taken into account the dangers that hid themselves just out of sight in the forest’s twisting paths, and when he thought about the conditions when he first made the trek alone versus now, in a group of seven, it looked even worse.

The forest was much more foreboding – quiet and almost eerie. In the distance they could hear the howls and roars of the beasts instead of the birds and rustling leaves. There were several spaces where the ground or trees wore torn by claws, horns, and blades, and just as many instances where they could see red dotting the underbrush.

It wasn’t until he saw the third wreath of branches and flowers wrapped around a tree that Michael realized they marked the place where somebody had been killed. It was terrible, and more than a little depressing and discouraging – before, they’d only had Gavin’s word to give them an image of the situation. The mess that they saw surrounding Ad Lucem now made everything painfully clear and it was worse than Michael thought it would be.

“If at this point in my life, I didn’t already know the damage beasts were capable of inflicting,” Jack said as they defeated a pair of armoured mountain beasts less than a day from the village. “I would have found it hard to believe this was caused by them.”

“Then it’s a good thing you know better,” Griffon said, leading them onward, constantly alert. They travelled as quickly as they could and only rested when it was completely necessary, but that wasn’t enough to avoid battle after battle. 

The Alati are at war, Michael found himself thinking; and they were not prepared. They were stubborn as hell, though, willing to do almost anything to protect their home. 

It was mid-afternoon when they finally reached the village, and when Michael expected to be greeted by more Guardians, he saw a group of men instead who could only be one of the units from Vegas. As the approached, one of the men stepped up and Geoff called to him.

“Gus Sorola,” he said, sounding amazed. “I have to say, when I was told that some guys from Vegas were being called in, I didn’t expect you to be the one leading them.”

His face wasn’t familiar, but Michael remembered his name, and he struggled to recall where he’d heard it until Gus replied:

“I owe the Chief of this village; I’m here to repay that debt and help her out.”

Gus Sorola, the man Gavin had been sent to Vegas to deliver a letter to. If Michael recalled correctly, at some point he’d gone into the forest and needed the Chief’s help to return home. Now he was back to return the favour – something told Michael that the villagers would respect him not only because he was helping to protect Ad Lucem.

“If there’s one thing the Alati take seriously,” Gavin had told him, “it’s honour.” 

“So, looks like you’re not the only one to have stumbled on this place and come out with a debt, Michael,” Geoff said.

“I can’t really regret it, either,” Michael replied, looking around at the men guarding the gate. They were right up along Ad Lucem’s walls, yet a couple of them were injured, and despite looking a little exasperated, Gus still seemed ready to wield his spear for a battle at any moment’s notice.

“How are the gates?” Griffon asked.

“Most of the grounded beasts don’t get this far; we don’t have much trouble with those, but it’s the flying type that we’ve had to worry about,” Gus reported. “So far we’ve managed to keep them out of the village without any casualties, though.”

“And the south gate?”

“We have Joel on there now, and I’d say he’s doing a pretty good job of it.”

Griffon nodded and glanced back at the Achievement Hunters. “That’s good, thanks for that, Gus. I know the rest of you are tired, but we need to let the Chief know you’ve arrived. Are you up for that?”

“We’re bruised and cut up, but I’d like the meet the Chief of the village before we do anything else,” Geoff replied. “I don’t know about the rest of you, you can go rest if you want.”

“I think we should all go,” Gavin said, casting a side glance at Michael. “Just so, you know, she sees all of you before she makes a final decision.”

“Tell you what,” Griffon pointed to Gavin. “You take the horses and make sure there’s a place for them to rest, and I’ll take them ahead. It’d probably be easier if it’s just them she sees.”

Gavin looked ready to refute that, but just as he opened his mouth he appeared to change his mind. He nodded, took the reins of the horses from Ryan, and said quietly to Michael, “It’s only you guys she wants to judge.”

Before Michael could say anything, Gavin was walking away, leading the horses out of sight. Michael watched his retreating back, slightly confused until his mind clicked – damn it, Gavin had lied, or at least tried to keep a secret from Michael again. The Chief of Ad Lucem wasn’t planning to send him anywhere, much less to the mountains. It made sense, considering Gavin wasn’t actually a Guardian of Ad Lucem, but Michael could tell that Gavin was at least a little upset by it. Did he act like we were going to be with them just to convince them?

By the time he came to that conclusion, though, Gus was waving them inside the village as well and Griffon was leading them on the familiar path to the Chief’s office – familiar to Michael, anyway. As they went deeper into the village, the rest of the Achievement Hunters were trying to be discreet about how much they were looking around, awed.

Michael found himself wishing they could have seen it when the square didn’t seem so empty. The last time he was here, everybody – right down to the small children with pure white wings – was seen walking about. Now, the place was quiet, and the Alati that they did see kept eyeing the sky. Some of the people wore black face paint beneath their eyes, down their cheeks, and Michael figured he had a good guess as to what it symbolized.

They have wings, he thought, and then reminded himself – but the beasts have razor sharp talons, and not every Alati knows how to handle them in a fight. Which is why the Achievement Hunters were here. We’re going to help you, he wanted to say to a woman holding her daughters hand, but Griffons steps were quick and they were already out of sight.

Eventually, as the trees around them grew taller and taller, blocking out more of the sunlight, they reached one of the largest trees they’d ever seen and Griffon motioned for them to stop.

“Hold on, I’ll go and let them know you’re here,” she said, spreading her wings. Within seconds, she disappeared above the tree branches. They stood on the ground below, craning their necks back and trying to squint through the branches.

“Are they going to come down and see us?” Caleb asked. Michael shook his head.

“They carried me up last time,” he explained, wondering how many Alati it would take to lift Jack up. A moment later, they could hear the sounds of multiple Alati approaching, and Griffon returned with three other Alati.

“A couple at a time,” she said to her companions, approaching Michael. “The Chief will see you when we all get up there.”

Michael tensed as Griffon and another Alati lifted him off the ground – again without warning – but he forced himself to push down the fear of being dropped. Geoff seemed to be having the same battle, and it was much more obvious on his face. As soon as they reached the network of platforms hidden in the branches, the Alati dropped down again, and Geoff and Michael waited until their comrades were with them before following Griffon again. She brought them to the first of the three cabins again, and knocked before letting them in.

The room looked no different than the last time Michael was inside (other than the number of stools), and the chief’s face was exactly as he remembered it – stern, light blue eyes boring holes into all of them, and an expression like she was eternally judging their worthiness. Michael saw Caleb almost flinch, but Geoff was almost calm as he held her gaze. Griffon shut the door behind them and the Chief faced them alone, silent. 

“I’ve heard many things about you,” she said in the same handsome voice, and gestured to the stools. “Sit, then, and I’ll hear you for myself. Which of you is Geoff?”

“That would be me,” Geoff said as they all took a seat. “And these are my men – Jack, Ryan, Caleb, and Michael, who I believe you’ve met.”

“I have,” the Chief nodded, acknowledging Michael. “I’m glad that you’ve attained your goal, Michael.”

“Er – thanks,” Michael said. He didn’t expect her to say something like that to him. “I’m glad that you let us come up here.”

“I had few other choices,” she replied, almost like a dismissal. “I gave Gavin specific orders not to leave, yet he slipped out of the forest regardless, and I am no longer in the position to turn away anyone that might be able to aid us, even at the risk of revealing this village.”

“That bad, huh?’ Geoff said grimly.

“You’ve seen the forest and experienced the Guardians’ troubles first hand. I don’t believe I need to describe it anymore to you.”

“Well, I’ve been told you know what’s causing it, that’s a step.”

“Hmm, a step, yes, and a very difficult one at that. Tell me, Geoff, what do you or any of your mercenaries know about dragons?”

There was that word again, and it threw the room into silence. None of them had any reliable knowledge about dragons.

“I’ll be honest with you,” Geoff sighed, “nothing. We didn’t even know there _were_ dragons to the south until we met Gavin, and the people of the north typically don’t hire a band of mercenaries to deal with problems in the Glacier Range.”

“And you agreed to come knowing the dangers.”

“I agreed to come because helping people get rid of their problems is part of my job, and I was also led to believe that if we can find what’s angering that dragon, we don’t need to have an actual confrontation with it.”

The Chief was quiet for a moment before she said, “It may be that those circumstances have changed.”

Geoff frowned. “Changed how?”

“We may know what is at the root of the problem, but even if that factor is eliminated… there is no guarantee that an encounter with that dragon can be avoided,” she explained. “I believe that creature is beyond any help we might give it to remedy the situation.”

“How angry can it possibly be?”

“Not angry,” the Chief shook her head, her tone grave. “Insane. It is not its anger that has driven the beasts from the mountains, it is the madness. Dragons are usually peaceful creatures despite their sizes; it’s difficult for me to imagine what could drive it so far from its right state of mind.”

“So, even if we take out the thing that's driving it mad, we’d still have an insane dragon on our hands…” The creases in Geoff’s forehead deepened as he spoke, and then even more when the Chief spoke.

“It isn’t a thing, it is a person.”

“Come again?”

“A man began this, and a very twisted and evil one at that, if he is taking action such as this,” she said, her features hard as stone, filled with anger, and maybe even hate.

“You’re sure about this?”

She nodded and turned to Michael again. “Do you recall the man that directed you to the forest in the first place?”

For a few seconds, Michael wondered what the guy guarding the canyon road had to do with any of this, but then he remembered the story Gavin had told him about the man who’d come to the forest before him, been refused something, and then left cursing them. If the Chief was leading this where he thought she was, then that meant the shady guy was still kicking around.

But before he could tell himself it was still superstitious bullshit, he asked the Chief, “What makes you think it’s him?”

“Who are you talking about?” Geoff asked.

“There was this guy who told me the canyon road was blocked, remembered? Because of rampaging beasts or some shit, and he told me I had to come through here. When I got here, Gavin told me about this person who’d come to the forest before me, did I ever get to that?”

“The man wanted our help to steal something very precious from the Gate of Diamond,” the Chief said, picking up the explanation. “We refused as such an act would be similar to declaring war on our brothers. He did not care for that and he left the village cursing us in every way he knew how, promising his revenge.”

“And now you’re thinking this is his revenge?” Michael was still unsure – okay, the guy seemed a bit messed up, but to be able to drive a dragon entirely insane? It sounded far-fetched.

“That is exactly what I believe. You see, there are four Gates in the Southern Range; they mark the safest routs to and from our villages as well as the border between the regions. When we sent our scouts to the mountains, their primary mission was to check the status of the Gates – Wood, Stone, Iron, and Diamond – and each of them reported being unable to reach the Gates because of either the dragon or that man.”

They were supposed to return at the first sign of danger, according to Gavin. A dragon, yes, very dangerous… but who the hell was this guy running around? If it was all the same person, then why did he send Michael to the forest? As the Chief watched them with an unyielding stare, Michael finally came to a conclusion:

“Okay, to hell with second guessing and all that – if we go climb a mountain, we just have to find a way to stop all this shit, right?”

“Regardless of what I send you there to do, that man needs to be punished.”

“So, what, do you want us to drag him back here–”

“No,” the Chief interrupted sharply. “No. I would not have him within ten miles of our home.”

“You’d rather have us take him out for good,” Geoff said. 

“With him gone, it would be easier to finally have contact from Ad Astra, and we could deal with the dragon with the help of heir Guardians.”

“So you are hiring us.”

“Do you have another suggestion for me?”

“It seems to me that your only other options are a potential suicide mission or exposing yourself to the whole world.” Geoff shook his head. “I do not have another suggestion for you.”

Michael watched her expression carefully, just in case she was going to change her mind at the last minute. That was… surprisingly easy, he thought when she showed no sign of doing so. She really is pretty desperate.

“Then, if all your men agree with you, I would send you to the Diamond Gate,” the Chief began, eyes sweeping over the men who’d remained silent so far. “It is the most important and the closest to us. Should you find anything unusual at all, I want you to report it. If you happen to find our hooded _friend_ ,” she said this with extreme distaste, “I would like you to dispose of him, and avoid a confrontation with the dragon if you can. When you leave, you will have Griffon and one of her fellow Guardians to guide you.”

“What about Gavin?” Michael asked before she could say anything more. She stared at him, slight incredulity in her face, as if she couldn’t fathom why she was being interrupted. “I think he should come with us.”

“Gavin is not a Guardian,” she said tersely. 

“So? Don’t you think he’d want to go?” Michael probably wouldn’t have confronted her at all about it the first time he spoke with her, but he felt braver this time around. He didn’t look down from her cold gaze.

“This isn’t a matter of who volunteers to go,” she told him, clearly intending to dismiss the subject.

“Well, doesn’t he at least deserve to go?” He wasn’t going to let her drop the subject. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Geoff give him an odd look, like a part of him understood why Michael was being stubborn about it. “He knows how to fight, granted he’s still got a long way to go, but he’s the one that brought us this far. 

“I will not send somebody on a mission that I don’t trust to do it successfully,” the Chief replied, her eyes narrowing and her feathers giving her wings a jagged appearance, daring Michael to challenge her. Michael stood up.

“You trusted him before.”

“That was a different matter–”

“I get this mission is dangerous as hell, but I’ve seen Gavin in action more than any Guardian here, and when he explained the crap going on over here, he talked about it like he was going to be with us.” The Chief didn’t look convinced. “And besides, you know what he did while he was gone? He helped us defeat every beast we came across, and he saved Geoff’s goddamn life! Besides that, he’s still got a debt to me and hell if I’m going to let him sit here and never get the chance to repay it!”

After his rant ended the room dropped into a deafening silence, and Michael realized how tightly his hands were clenched. He also had the thought that he’d just angered the Chief of the village, which might well have cost the Achievement Hunters the mission. He didn’t turn to see their faces, but Geoff still hadn’t intervened. The Chief does not have many other options here, he reminded himself, trying to relax his hands. Calm down. Don’t piss off the leader of the goddamn village.

“I just think… I’ve fought with him before, and so have they. We know how he fights, and he knows how we work; we’ve had the chance to work together. And I believe – he could really prove himself if he can handle this mission.”

Having said all he had to say, Michael slowly sat down again. From the side, he could see Geoff and Jack fighting to keep straight faces. The Chief’s face hadn’t changed, either, and for several long moments, she made no sound at all. She closed her eyes, her wings relaxing, and when she opened them again, her gaze still fixed on his, she said, “I did not know you felt so strongly about this.”

She spoke quietly, he tone surprisingly light. It threw Michael off a bit – he expected more of her sharp words, an intensity that rang through even when she spoke quietly. The fact that she did none of that made him feel nervous again, like she had began judging him on something else entirely, and he had no idea what it was.

“Well, Gavin – is my friend,” he said when he noticed she was still waiting for a reply. He thought about the expression on Gavin’s face, and the tone of his voice as he led the horses away. “And I could be wrong, but I don’t think he wants to be here when I know he could be helping us.”

“That is not the answer I was expecting.”

Michael frowned. “What do you mean?”

She shook her head. “Think nothing of it, then. If you truly feel so passionate about this… I daresay the rest of you have no objections?”

She asked the rest of the Achievement Hunters, who’d all been quiet for so long that Michael almost forgot that he wasn’t even the one that was supposed to be making the decision. He was distracted, and he reminded himself that even if Gavin had travelled and fought with them, he was still essentially just a messenger, a wanderer among the Alati. We could change that, he thought. When he turned to see his team mates’ reactions, Geoff was shaking his head.

“I agree with Michael,” he said. “We’ve had time to see each others’ patterns and that makes it easier to work together.”

The chief’s gaze flickered from man to man, but none of them voiced any objection, and Michael had to bite back a smile, because soon she was back to him.

“Gavin learned to fight to protect himself from the beasts that he encountered as he left the village, and as such I am reluctant to send a man not fully trained,” she explained. She paused, but not enough for Michael to say anything. “Therefore, should he agree to take this mission with you, I charge you to make sure he comes back alive. Although, seeing as this is his best opportunity to repay your earlier kindness, I hope that he may eventually be able to do so. I trust you can brief him, Griffon?”

“I can do that,” Griffon replied, nodding. The corners of her lips turned up slightly, but Michael would be lying if he said he didn’t see some worry in her eyes.

“Then that is all I have to discuss with you for now,” the Chief stood and looked at them all soberly. “Go, and take your rest. Take your time to prepare, but do not linger for more than four nights.”

“We’ll leave as soon as we can,” Geoff said as the rest of them stood. She dismissed them, and Griffon led them back outside. 

Before he stepped through the doorway, Michael looked over his shoulder; the Chief was watching them leave. “Thanks, he said, and Griffon pulled the door shut after him.

Later, as they walked on solid ground again toward the village square, Geoff said to him quietly, “Nice speech.”

Michael glanced up and Geoff was smiling. “Uh… sorry about that, I got carried away.”

Geoff shook his head. “No, I was agreeing with you, otherwise I would have told you to shut the fuck up. I don’t mean to insult anyone, but I’d rather take a job with someone I know will listen to me, even if they are an idiot, rather than someone I’ve never met before. Although…”

“What?” 

Geoff had that smug expression on his face again. “Well, if he managed to sneak out of the forest once, I think he’d be able to do it again.”

Michael blinked, his brow creasing as he looked up at the sky through the tree branches. He hadn’t thought about that.

_)_

A set of barracks had been built for the men from Vegas near the north gate of Ad Lucem; Gavin was waiting for them there, sitting on the roof with his legs hanging off the edge. Seeing a place where they could finally sleep properly made his feet fell even heavier than they already did, but Michael was reminded that he couldn’t collapse on a bed yet when Geoff said, “You can give Gavin the run down, right Michael?”

“Right,” Michael said. Gavin slid off the roof and landed a few feet away from them, his wings spread to soften the fall. He directed Geoff to where their supplies had been left, and Michael only turned his attention away from the late afternoon light playing across his feathers when they were standing along outside the barracks.

“So, what did she say this time around?” Gavin asked.

“We have four nights, tops,” Michael said, pausing to yawn. “And then we have to haul ass out of here to the mountains, where hopefully we can do something about this problem before you’re all fucked.”

Gavin smiled, relieved. “It worked then. Was she pissed?”

Michael shrugged, remembering how her wings had gone sharp and jagged, reflecting her emotions the same way Gavin’s did. He supposed it was something all Alati did. “Yeah, she was pissed – not at us, though. Probably because she didn’t originally authorize it or some shit. But she gave us the mission because, seriously, what else could she do?”

“She really just wants to protect everything in the forest.”

“I know that, but she is still the only person that makes me feel like everything I fucking do is being evaluated.”

“Then make sure you don’t let her down,” Gavin replied simply. Michael noticed the slight gloom in his face. “She’s given you time to get ready, so don’t just run around doing nothing before you go. We don’t want to send a bunch of idiots to the mountains.”

“Hey, when the hell have I ever been unprepared to do something? And I swear if you bring up that fucking box of rocks,” Michael gave him a threatening look, but even though he said nothing about it, there was still a grin tugging at Gavin’s face. “And another thing – enough of the ‘you guys’ bullshit; I said we all have four nights, and I meant _all_ of us.” He made a wide circular motion with his hands, making it perfectly clear that Gavin was included in the circle. “You don’t get to sit here and fuck around either, you’re coming with us.”

Gavin’s smile dropped off and was replaced with complete surprise; for a split second, his eyes were comically wide. “What – but I’m not a Guardian…”

“Yeah, that’s what your chief said, but I convinced her anyway.” Michael replied, quite proudly, too. “I mean, sure, you’ve been pretty much the go-between guy for a while, but even then you’ve managed to help us out.”

A smiled found its way onto Gavin’s face again. “Are you serious?”

“Hell yes. Are you saying you _don’t_ want to go?”

“No!” Gavin shook his head quickly. “I do want to go with you, but I thought she’d send someone else.”

“She was planning to, but come on Gav, we’re a team, aren’t we? How can we be Team Nice Dynamite if you’re here and I’m there?”

“We wouldn’t be very successful,” Gavin said, grinning.

“No, we’d be complete shit. The horse shit would be better shit than us.”

Gavin only laughed before reaching out and drawing Michael in for a hug. “Thanks,” he said in Michael’s ear, “for wanting me along on your super dangerous mission.”

Michael returned the embrace, careful to avoid Gavin’s feathers. He almost asked why he didn’t get one of the usual full-body tackles. Almost.

_)_

They had three days to prepare before they left Ad Lucem, and for the first day most of their time was spent resting after the difficult journey through the grasslands and the forest. Griffon helped Caleb tend to their wounds properly, and she used some of her own green oak syrup to quicken the healing. Later on, she and Geoff left the barracks and returned to the Chief, smoothing out the last details of the mission (namely in what way they would be paid). 

They returned a couple hours after midday, laden with weapons – swords, daggers, a spear, an axe, all of them edged or tipped with sharp green-metal. 

“I know you have your own weapons,” Griffon said as they spread the blades out. “But if you’re going up against whatever is left in the Southern Range, you’re going to need something like these.”

Michael picked up the long sword, testing its weight, how it balanced in his hand. It was heavier than what he was used to, but that was probably due to the green-metal. He ran his hand along its cold length, careful not to actually touch the edge. He imaged the damage Gavin’s dagger could inflict, and he thought to himself, as long as I don’t chop anybody’s head off, I could take out almost anything. That was the point of it, of course, but it still sent a small shiver down his spine.

“Take a couple days to practice with these things,” Geoff ordered them. “Focus on control more so you don’t accidentally lop anyone’s limbs off; I don’t want to have to stop because somebody’s lost an arm, or a leg, or a wing.”

“Better watch out, Gavin,” Michael said as he took a mock stance. He swung the blade experimentally, well away from any arms, legs, or wings, and was surprised at how easily it swept across. “Shit,” he muttered, taking another small strike at the air. “Okay, this is pretty awesome.”

“Try not to take your own eyes out, either,” Geoff added. “It’s all fun and games until someone loses a goddamn eye.”

As their cuts and bruises healed over, their last night in the village loomed closer. They gathered supplies again – enough food, water and medicine to last them at least to the mountains and back – and they trained with the weapons given to them by the Alati – slashing at air first, getting a feel for the blades, then they sparred against each other, and then they learned that Griffon was no less lethal with her saw-blade when she was off the battlefield. 

As the first, second, third night passed, tension and anticipation built up around them. No matter what Michael told himself, he always thought back to his map. It’s like an advanced reconnaissance mission, he’d think, and then the words _Hic Sunt Dracones_ would slip through his mind. There are dragons up there – there’s a fucking _insane_ dragon raging around up there!

And it was up there, because even though Michael couldn’t see it from the village, they’d had Geoff climb to their observatory above the trees, watching the jagged horizon for half a day, waiting for the dragon to appear in the telescope. When he returned, he described it just as Gavin had:

“Just flying around, spitting fire at the sky.”

It put another factor of timing into their plan – when they should move, when they should take cover and avoid being caught by it.

“There’s some green stuff up there,” Gavin said when he relayed the information to him. He spread his wings out. “I could do this and hide next to a bush or something.”

“Nice. What about us?”

“Well, there are trees, too.”

“Bullshit. You’re telling me there’s not enough room for at least one other person behind your wings?” Michael squinted, trying to put the image in his mind to the right scale. If Gavin did it right, he could probably hide someone else, but Gavin didn’t seem as open to the idea. “Come on, I’m shorter than you.”

“But you’re… wider.”

“It doesn’t have to be all of me. I’m pretty sure no dragon’s going to care about a pair of fucking boots lying around.”

Gavin was getting flustered again; he folded his wings tightly against his back as if he were afraid Michael would make a grab for them. “It’d probably be easier if we just hid in some beast’s old lair. That way, the beast is already gone and we wouldn’t have to worry about getting burned to a crisp.”

Michael considered saying something more about his wings, but at that moment Geoff entered the room, told them to put the torch out, shut up and go to sleep before he knocked them unconscious. Gavin left to sleep in his own bed, and by the time Michael woke in the morning, he’d forgotten what he was going to say.

He might have remembered somewhere in the back of his mind, but his thoughts never strayed that far that morning, because it seemed to him that the span of three days and four nights passed almost too quickly and he could concentrate on little else besides the fact that the time to leave was upon them.


	10. The Gate of Diamond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit goes down at the Gate of Diamond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost done, guys, can you believe it? And Ray is FINALLY getting in this thing in the next chapter, so look forward to that...

It might have been the silence that woke him. As strange as that sounded, Michael had gotten used to the sounds of either a battle or somebody doing something around him as he fell asleep. Now, as they rested behind the south barricade a day's journey from Ad Lucem, he could hear... nothing. No clash of blades, no hiss of pain as a wound was cleaned out, no beasts shuffling about. Just the branches moving against each other in the breeze.

It unsettled him.

When he opened his eyes, his view of the stars was clear of leaves. Many of the trees in this area needed to be cleared to form the barrier and give the Guardians an advantage over the beasts. Around him the Achievement Hunters slept (or most of them did; Caleb was fidgeting and it was hard to tell if Ryan was sleeping or not). Griffon dozed not far away, close to the wall in case anyone called for help.

None of them did; Michael figured the battle was either too far away to hear properly, or they'd found a period of relief.

He shifted on the pallet carefully, making sure to not accidentally tug on any of Gavin's feathers – and that's when he realized that the space next to him previously occupied by Gavin was empty. Michael rubbed his eyes and looked around the campsite, but Gavin was nowhere to be seen. Probably off in the bushes, he thought groggily, closing his eyes again.

But the minutes passed and passed, and when Gavin still didn't return Michael opened his eyes again, blinking as he sat up. If he's not near the campsite, and not on the other side of the barricade – there's no way that Gavin would have been called over instead of Griffon – and there was nothing they'd left behind... then where did he go?

“Can't just stay put, can you, you idiot?” Michael muttered as he stood, intent on at least locating their wayward comrade and making sure he hadn't gotten mauled by a beast. He eyed the barricade, the torches placed periodically along its top, and decided to first check if Gavin had wandered down the line somewhere.

Surprisingly (and relieving all the same), Michael didn't have to go far before he saw two familiar figures sitting on a couple tree stumps a few feet away from the barricade. Their backs were to Michael, but he was able to identify them both easily – there was Gavin, safe and sound, with his unruly hair and green feathers, and next to him, tall, dark haired with wings that matched the fire light, was Dan. Michael stopped as he neared them; he didn't expect to see Dan. He must have been away at the time they'd arrived and only recently returned. That probably explained why Gavin had gotten up. They sat next to each other, feathers brushing in a friendly manner, and Michael was unsure if he should interrupt them or simply go back to bed.

“But it's scary, you know?” Gavin was saying to his friend as they both stared up at the sky. “I've never done anything... on this scale before.”

“Most people get used to it,” Dan replied. “But that's only assuming that something bigger doesn't come along.”

“But I'm not a Guardian, I probably won't get the chance to do anything like this again.”

“Then you don't have to worry about finding something bigger and badder, do you?”

“It doesn't get much bigger than dragons.”

“You don't have to fight it, though,” Dan patted Gavin's knee. “That's something you can leave to the Guardians. I bet the ones in Ad Astra are already planning the same thing. At least, I hope they are; they can't have just been sitting around while all this is happening. I thought Ray at least would be able to get through, but apparently they can't get by, either.”

Gavin was quiet for a few seconds before he lowered his head and said so quietly that Michael had to strain to hear, “We're screwed if we can get this fixed, aren't we? What if something happened to them?”

“Well – don't think about it like that,” Dan replied quickly. “Look, those Achievement Hunters-”

“They're not Guardians, either, they're mercenaries-”

“And damn good ones if they've made it this far without one of them being torn to shreds.”

“I know that.”

“You're with them, and you have Griffon, too. Honestly, B, I can't really think of a better party. If anybody is going to be able to straighten things out before Ad Astra, it's probably you guys.”

Gavin didn't reply for a long moment. Michael couldn't see his face, or what his hands were doing, but his feathers looked sleek, like each one was being pressed down, and every few seconds his wings shook. He's actually terrified, Michael thought.

Finally, Dan continued speaking. “It doesn't take long to get there, or to get back here. So, if you guys are gone for more than twelve days, then I'm coming up after you.”

“That's the dumbest idea ever, B; if we get killed, you could be, too!”

“Doesn't mean I'm not going to try and help my best friend.”

Gavin looked over at Dan, and Michael could tell that he was smiling. “That's still a stupid idea, but... if you can't come with us, I guess that's the next best thing, right?” He shifted one of his wings against Dan's, their feathers overlapping. “Thanks for that.”

Dan leaned over and wrapped an arm around Gavin's shoulder, effectively pulling Gavin off his stump and closer to Dan's side. Still unnoticed a small distance behind them, Michael looked away; he especially didn't want to interrupt them now, but as he was turning quietly to return to the camp, another voice called from the barricade. Another Alati appeared, kneeling on top the wall; they spoke first in the Alati's foreign language, and then said, “Brandon needs help.”

Dan nodded and immediately untangled his feathers from Gavin's to stand. “Gotta go back out,” he said, shaking dirt from his wings. “I'll probably be back when you guys leave, so you should go back to sleep.”

“Good luck,” Gavin replied. A few seconds later, Dan and the other Alati were gone on the other side of the barricade. Gavin stayed seated, watching the shadows flickering around him, apparently not planning to return to the camp right away. Michael sighed and stepped forward, and Gavin jumped as his attention snapped to him at once. “Michael,” he breathed, relaxing again. “You scared the crap out of me. What are you doing out here?” 

“I woke up and noticed you ran off somewhere in the night,” Michael said, standing next to Gavin. “Idiot, don't do shit like that.”

“I didn't get hurt or anything like that,” Gavin said. “I was with Dan.”

“I noticed that.”

Gavin's expression turned surprised. “Oh, did you hear us?”

“Some of it,” Michael shrugged, wondering if Gavin would be mad at him for eavesdropping. Seconds passed and Gavin didn't say anything. He looked anxious. “So, is that why you got up?”

“I guess that's why I woke up,” Gavin answered. “I got up when I heard Dan was back.”

“I see,” Michael could still hear unease in his voice, which was unusual for Gavin. “Listen, Dan's right, you know.”

“Right about what?”

“What do you think? Look, I know you're nervous, but so am I.”

“You don't look like it.”

“That's because I'm used to facing dangerous shit all the time. You're not, though. Or at least you weren't before. How often did you have to fight beasts before this?”

Gavin shrugged. “Dan taught me how to use the dagger, but I never used it unless I really had to. I'm still not as good as any of you guys.”

“You don't have to be,” Michael told him, nudging his head. “There's Griffon, who kicks ass, and there's the rest of us, who also kick ass. And on top of that, I promised the Chief I'd keep you safe.”

“You've already told me that.”

“Well, obviously you need a reminder. You're my boy, Gavin; whatever shit goes down, I got your back. You don't have to be two feet from their claws all the time... Unless you think it's too much for you.”

Gavin leaned back to look up at him, his features glowing in the fire light and seeming much more peaceful than they were earlier. “I'm pretty sure I can handle it,” he said softly. “I still really want to help you.”

Michael held his gaze. The green in his eyes blended with the shadows, but they were still sincere. “I know you do,” he replied. There was still a debt to be paid, after all. “Just don't get any crazy ideas, though. Stick with the plan and we'll all be fine.”

Gavin nodded. “Got it.”

“We clear?”

“Yep.”

“Then we should get back,” Michael said, motioning in the direction of the camp. “We're not worth shit if we're too tired to fight.”

“All right,” Gavin agreed, chuckling lightly. Michael held his hand out, and Gavin used it to pull himself off the ground. He paused to shake his feathers out, puffing them up lightly before following Michael back to the campsite. 

They moved back to their pallets quietly, hoping that the others were still asleep. It was a few moments before Gavin stopped shifting around, trying to find a comfortable position for his wings, and by the time they were settled again, Michael was already drifting off again.

We'll be fine, he told himself before he dropped off completely.

–

When they left, Dan helped guide them south, assisting them to clear the path. He returned to the barricade near midday, not wanting to be far, and they wished each other good luck before he left.

“I really don't want to come back and find a marker where he was standing,” Gavin said quietly as they travelled on.

“He'll be fine,” Michael encouraged him. “He's got skills, we'll come back and you guys can have great hugs of victory, because victory is on the way.”

Gavin smiled, thanked him for the assurance, but the concern was still etched in his face, pulling his brow down, and Michael knew it would truly go away until they knew for sure the danger had passed. He didn't know what else to say to Gavin that he hadn't already said and it seemed nobody else did, either, so they walking in silence for a long while until Griffon spoke.

“How about I tell you a story to pass the time?” She asked near the head of the group. “I know you're not a bunch of kids, but I can guarantee you haven't heard these ones before.”

–

“ _I'm having trouble finding a good way to describe the atmosphere of that journey.”_

“ _It was tense.”_

“ _People want a little more than that, Gavin. I think they've picked up on that by now.”_

“ _How much more can you describe it? The whole way there – I had this conflicting feeling in my chest, it was making me kind of angry. A part of me wanted to just laugh around so it wouldn't be so quiet, but the rest of me was just – nope. So I didn't say anything”_

“ _You did it right there, Gavin – that's what made it uneasy. I... I'll be totally honest with you here; for a long time, I thought I'd wake up and figure out you'd flown off and some other Alati would be there in your place.”_

“ _But I told you multiple times I wanted to go with you.”_

“ _And I kept telling you Dan would be okay, but that didn't stop you, did it?”_

“ _I stayed, though.”_

“ _Yeah, you did – I'm glad you did – and Dan proved how bad ass he could be, so I guess we were both worried for nothing, right?”_

“ _No, that's like saying there was nothing in this whole story worth getting worked up over.”_

“ _That's not what I'm saying; there is definitely shit worth getting worked up over, and it's coming fast. Just turn the fucking page over and I'll show you.”_

–

To the east of the forest were the grasslands with long grasses, but the land to the south was much different. It was flat, and what grew there was hardly worthy of being called grass. Because of the hill-less terrain, the tips of the great mountains of the Southern Range were easily seen, and it looked like the horizon itself had teeth. They were able to travel quickly, and Griffon estimated that it would only take two days to get at least to the foot of the mountains.

They moved in a more or less line formation. Geoff and Griffon kept up the front, and she continued to tell her stories, tales passed down in Ad Lucem and Ad Astra that they'd never heard before. Michael admitted they were interesting, but more often than not, he and Gavin ended up walking behind them. Gavin obviously wasn't paying attention to the stories he'd already heard, and Michael didn't want to be too far away from him, or else the image of him suddenly deciding to fly back to the village would pass through his mind over and over again. 

Travelling to the mountains was also much easier than going to the forest; not only was there very little that they couldn't see, but it seemed like most of the beasts that had fled the mountains had either already entered the forest or had gone to the grasslands. Those that they did encounter were large and looked tough, but turned out the be weaker, hungry things that had left their homes only because there was not enough prey left there. Those ones Griffon simply herded toward the grasslands while the rest of them continued on their path.

“It's only the weaker ones that we can herd away,” she explained as she returned to them. “The rest are too stubborn to go. If we can make the Southern Range safe again, we can deal with the beasts in a less bloody manner. If the weak go, the stronger ones will realize they can leave the forest, too. At least I hope they will.”

“When we get back, the Guardians will know what they're up against,” Geoff assured her. “I think they can hold out until then.”

_)_

“Have you ever climbed a mountain before?” Gavin asked as the trail turned rocky and steep. They moved carefully, watching for the shadow of dragon wings against the sky. Gavin had been right when he said there was greenery along the path, but unless they all somehow managed to hide in the thin branches, they were going to have some trouble hiding there. Hopefully the insane dragon wouldn't look this far down the trail. 

“There aren't many mountains where I grew up,” Michael replied. His hometown was only a week's travel and a boat ride from Vegas, and he was a long way from there. He was about to continue, but before he could say anything else, a loud shrieking sound echoed in the cliffs and they all froze.

“Get off the path,” Griffon said immediately. “Just duck down, it probably won't bother us this far away.”

Michael searched the sky, his heart pounding; he wanted to see the source of that sound, but Gavin was tugging him into the shadows of the nearest cliff side. He knelt next to Gavin, still squinting at the sky. Gavin told him to pretend to be a bush and spread his wings in an attempt to cover them both, and over his feathers Michael saw it – he saw its wings first as it flew higher and higher toward the clouds, and as he watched it move he thought to himself, I thought the moment I saw an actual dragon would be different.

There was no pattern to the dragon's movements; its wings seemed out of sync with each other, even from the distance, it flew as if trying to shake something from its back, and every few moments it would roar and shoot a plume of fire at the clouds. It flew in wonky circles far from them, plummeting and rising again to breathe flames at the sky. There was no peace or calmness as he'd been told they were, and it wasn't majestic at all.

He glanced at his friends' faces, and it looked like they were all thinking the same thing – what the hell happened to this dragon?

They waited for what felt like hours, until their knees were aching and their feet numbing. Griffon's assumption was right and the creature didn't so much as look in their direction, but Michael figured he understood why the beasts were fleeing: he wouldn't want to stick around with that thing raging around, even if he wasn't being attacked. As exhilarating as it was to finally see the thing, it was fucking terrifying too, and he was glad he was at a distance from it. It was truly insane, and there was no way he could successfully fight something when he couldn't predict its next move. 

The dragon fell out of sight again, and this time it didn't come back up. They kept waiting, just in case, until the mountains became still and quiet again, and only then did Griffon say it was okay to continue.

“I don't envy whoever has to face that thing,” Ryan said as they stretched out their legs. Caleb looked a little pale.

“Me neither,” Geoff said, shaking his head. “Dragons are tough on a good day, but that... that is just unfortunate. Who the fuck would do that to any creature?”

“I have the feeling we'll find out soon,” Griffon replied, watching the path ahead. It was clear of ay other living thing, but they still moved quietly, wary of the dragon.

“What about the rest of them?” Michael found himself asking. Gavin gave him a quizzical look. “That's not the only one here, is it?”

“It's not,” Griffon answered. “But one mad dragon isn't going to scare away the rest of them. If they're not involved, then they're waiting it out in their own lairs. That dragon is going to die eventually from its own insanity, but unlike the dragons, we don't have the time to wait it out.” 

“I see...” Michael glanced over his shoulder at the flatland getting farther and farther below them. “Well, to answer you question, Gavin: no, I've never climbed a mountain before. If I fall off a cliff, you better be ready to catch me.”

“Would you do the same for me?” Gavin asked softly.

“You're not blind and you can fly.”

“What if I was hurt?”

“I don't know why you'd be here blinded and injured, but if you fell off a fucking cliff, yeah, I'd try to help you, so you have to do the same for me.”

_)_

It was nearing midday when they reached the Gate of Diamond the next day. All the while, Michael kept watch for the dragon, but it didn't reappear. 

“Do you _want_ it to come at us?” Gavin asked incredulously. “I know you like dragons, but I don't think that's the one you want to go after.”

“I'm not going after it,” Michael told him. “Because yeah, that would be fucking stupid. I'm just on the lookout if we see it again.”

“You who what we haven't seen yet?” Caleb cut in suddenly, staring at the structure before them. It wasn't a large building, and they couldn't see much of its detail, but they could clearly see where the trail passed through it. “That guy.”

“That guy” was not the best description of him, but there was only one man who could fit it, and as Caleb brought it up, Michael eyed the Gate warily. Most of the Alati scouts sent here had seen him, why hadn't they? Michael's only conclusion was that the man was waiting for them there.

“Be ready in case we do see him,” Jack said, reminding them of the Chief's orders. “He's caused enough trouble.”

The rest of their walk was quiet, but even as they passed through the building's shadow, nobody appeared. Griffon stopped them before the stone archway of the Gate, inspecting its walls before leading them to an opening beside the arch. 

“I don't see anything unusual out here,” she said uneasily. Obviously there _was_ something off, but she didn't say it. “Let's check inside and make sure everything's where it should be.”

Once they got closer, Michael could see the designs etched into the walls, a network of geometric shapes and small blueish stones inlaid on the doorway. Inside was a stair case of smooth stone and lapis, and there were paintings on the walls, murals of winged figures that reminded him of the stories Griffon had told them. The stairs led them to a wide open room above the archway; there were even more murals on the wall and the wind blew in from the windows, but there was no other person there. Michael approached the windows and he could see the trail they'd just walked to get here, the mountain face stretching down – a deadly drop into what looked like a deep ravine – and beyond that, the flatland reaching across the horizon. No dragon, no Alati, no hooded man.

Behind him, Geoff asked, “What is it?”

Michael turned and saw Griffon looking about the room, and just by the expression on her face he could tell that something was very wrong. “What's wrong?”

“Everything,” she answered. “First of all, there was supposed to be someone at the arch. There is always supposed to be someone at the archway.” She spun on her heel and went to the small empty brazier that stood before the windows opposite Michael. “And here – this is supposed to hold a very important treasure. It was a symbol of peace and good luck travelling between Ad Astra and Ad Lucem...”

“And it's been stolen,” Geoff finished for her. She nodded. “Who wants to bet it was that hooded man?”

“That is the only explanation I can think of,” Griffon answered grimly. “He came to the village, but decided to take it on his own when we refused him, and if the Alati guarding it escaped, he didn't come to us.”

“What did he take?” Michael asked, looking at the empty holder. 

“It's called the Ender Pearl,” Griffon sighed. “It's one of the most ancient and powerful artifacts in the world.”

“I thought they were all destroyed,” Jack said, awed, as Michael racked his brain, trying to remember which legend he recognized it from. “Or, at least most of them were.”

“And they were,” Griffon said. “Because most of them were in the hands of a human. Humans feared them, because they can give a person the ability to move very quickly anywhere they want. We kept ours, and when we moved to the forest and founded Ad Lucem, we placed the Ender Pearl here as a sign of good will. That's why we wouldn't help that man take it; there may be tension between our villages sometimes, but we'd never declare war on them.”

“That explains how half the scouts saw him at separate Gates, then,” Ryan mused. “He'd scare them off here and then move on. Who knows where he is now?”

Caleb answered him almost immediately. He was leaning out one of the windows behind Griffon. “Uh, guys,” he started uncertainly. “I think he's here.”

The rest of them went to the windows, and sure enough, in the middle of the road below was a man in a dark cloak, standing slightly hunchbacked but proud. He didn't look up at them or acknowledge that they were there at all, but Michael knew that he was waiting for them. Behind him, the road went on, curving out of sight toward Ad Astra, and a few yards to his side it fell away. If he was waiting for a confrontation... Griffon and Gavin didn't need to worry about falling off, but if he had the Ender pearl, it wouldn't matter for him, would it?

“He's not coming up here,” Geoff said quietly, stepping away from the window. “He's waiting for us to come to him... Well, why should we keep him waiting?”

“Are you just going to walk down there?” Gavin asked, unsure.

“Got a better plan?” Geoff asked, shrugging. “Let's at least see what he has to say, and then pound him into the ground.”

With that, Geoff walked back across the room to the stair case. Griffon followed him, and one after the other, so did everyone else. This is the mission you were sent on, Michael told himself as he stepped outside again and saw the expressions on Gavin and Griffon's faces – their lips were in a tight line, anger simmering just behind the exterior. Michael felt his fist tighten. It was like any other job, and this was the mark they were going to take out...

Right after Geoff was done being civil about it. He stopped just beyond the archway, officially on Ad Astra's territory, and his mercenaries and the Alati stood in formation behind him. Despite appearances, the hooded man simply stood there, apparently not intimidated.

“Well, let's just cut to the chase,” Geoff started, crossing his arms. “You're the shit head who's been fucking around up here.”

“I guess I am,” the man replied. His accented voice was loud but raspy, as if he hadn't taken a drink in a long time. However, even after more than two months, Michael recognized it almost immediately. The cloak was the same, too, and the ratty scarf wrapped loosely around his neck. His cloak fluttered in the wind and Michael caught the glimmer of light against a blade. The man caught Michael looking. “I remember you,” he said. 

“That's nice,” Michael dead panned. “You're the bastard who lied to me about the beasts in the canyon.”

“I was hoping they'd kill you,” the man sighed. “If I kept the beasts in the grass at bay and made you think the forest was safe...”

Michael frowned. “Why?”

“Because people would come looking for you,” the man replied, gesturing loosely at the Achievement Hunters. “And they'd get rid of them too, and it would go on...”

“Oh, good thing you had a fucking back up plan, huh?” Michael spat, thinking back to his first time in the forest. He'd never even suspected the man supposedly guarding the canyon road before then, didn't think he might have been walking right into a trap... And Gavin ruined that plan just by being there when he was. “What, you couldn't get the Alati to reveal themselves that way, so this is what you resort to?”

“It's not about revealing anything,” the man shook his head slowly and said vehemently, “I know their kind. They won't move; they'll stay where they are until the last one is dead.”

“You know nothing about us,” Griffon cut in coldly. He turned his head toward her, but his face was still in shadows.

“I know much more than nothing,” was the man's short reply. Something in his voice struck Michael, and seconds later it occurred to him that the man might not actually be hunch backed. He continued on, angrier, “I certainly know more than a few simple swordsmen!”

Michael heard Gavin shift as his side, and he held his arm out slightly in case he decided to lunge. They didn't know what the man could do yet.

“Okay then,” Geoff said, “why don't you start off by telling us who you are? What's your angle on this?”

“Why would you want to know that?” 

“Because I know a lot of ways to kill a person,” Geoff replied smoothly. “And I wanna know which one's best in this situation.”

The man was silent for a moment, contemplating Geoff's threat. As they waited for his reply, Michael watched his cloak carefully, trying to catch any flash of colour underneath. As far as he could tell, there was none. Finally, the man reached up slowly and drew his hood down, revealing wild hair, dark eyes, and a face so scarred and burned that it was hard to even imagine what he would have looked like before. 

“I call myself Kione,” he announced as if he expected them all to bow to him. Griffon simply narrowed her eyes in suspicion. He pointed at her and Gavin, “And I'm here to give them what they deserve.”

“What did we ever do you?” Gavin blurted out almost immediately. The man named Kione glared at him.

“Not just you,” he seethed. “All of you, prancing around the forest like you know all the world's secrets, and those lazy fools who threw me out again and again... Your... your own stupidity will be the end of all of you!” He ended in a shout, and then started chuckling.

“What the fuck is so funny to you?” Geoff asked incredulously. 

“I warned them,” Kione said, still laughing. “I warned them, but nobody listened... They're going to be as wrecked as I am...” He drew something out from under his cloak and held it in front of him – a sphere the size of his palm that glowed turquoise softly. “And I can do it, too, I can do it with this!”

“The Ender Pearl,” Gavin said under his breath, just as Griffon spoke. 

“You're as insane as that dragon,” she said, clearly disgusted with the man. 

“Oh, yes, my dragon,” Kione said, and for a second Michael thought he'd misheard – _his_ dragon? “My dragon will help me, she does whatever I tell her to.”

“So you _did_ drive that thing insane?” Michael could see Gavin tensing beside him. Kione nodded.

“Only because I needed to,” he said as he drew his sword with his free hand. As soon as he did, every one else had their weapons out as well. “I only do what needs to be be done. And now, I have to get rid of you, too, I can't let anyone by. A couple have already slipped through, but I won't let anymore go...”

“You...” Griffon's grip on her saw-blade tightened, and her expression promised a fatal injury – at the least. “You killed them _all_ , you bastard!”

She was lunging before any of them could stop her, her blade raised for a deadly strike – but before she could reach him, the Ender Pearl's light pulsed, Kione's figure blurred, and then he was gone as she cut through empty air. 

There was a chorus of “What the hell?” as they stared at the place where Kione used to stand. Michael looked around for the man's dark cloak and found him almost immediately, moving so fast he was just blur – and the flash of metal that was his blade was going to come down on Gavin. 

“Get back, Gavin!” Michael shouted, raising his sword and shoving Gavin out of the way before he'd even fully registered what he was doing. Kione's sword clashed against his only a split second later, and then he was gone again.

“Watch each others back!” Geoff ordered, his weapons held defensively, his eyes moving back and forth between Griffon and Caleb before he leaped and deflected Kione's next strike from his youngest mercenary. Immediately the group fell into an improvised formation,1 Gavin at Michael's back, Griffon, Geoff and Caleb in a circle, and Jack at Ryan's. A second later, Kione stood blocking the road again.

“You can't go past here,” he said, breathing hard, his rasping worse. “And I won't let you go back.”

“Yeah, but there's still seven of us and only one of you,” Geoff retorted. “And from the look of it, that thing is already wearing you out. Who the hell do you think has the advantage here?”

Kione's reply came in the form of another attack. Geoff blocked it with one of his blades and thrust the other through Kione's cloak into the ground, intending to trap him long enough to retaliate. However, Kione only used to Ender Pearl again, leaving his cloak behind and stopping again a short distance away.

“Bloody hell,” Gavin breathed as soon as he saw the disfigured shapes that were previously hidden on Kione's back, his face a mix of shock and disgust. “He's not a human, he's an _Alati_.”

“Are you kidding me?” Michael stared at the mess of feathers that were Kione's wings, glancing at Gavin's and Griffon's. There could not have been any larger difference – Kione's wings looked small and crooked, and his feathers were dark and matted with blood. At some point they might have been blue or violet, and many were so broken that Michael doubted he could even fly. “That is one fucked up Alati.”

“I knew your name was familiar,” Griffon said, lips curled down. “You're from Ad Astra. They exiled you.”

“Three times!” Kione cried. “They threw me out three times, they refused to see sense!”

“Fuck, I'd toss you out, too!” Michael exclaimed. “Have you _thought_ about what you're doing? You're a complete psychopath!”

“No, no,” Kione groaned. “You – you would never understand, you ally yourself with them!”

“What do you expect us to do? They're not the ones trying to wipe out whole villages!”

“If they'd only listened...”

“I think I'm about done listening to you,” Geoff said, retrieving his second blade. “I'd give you the choice to come quietly, but I was specifically ordered to kill you if I saw you. I mean, you could run like a coward, but you can bet we'd come and find you again.”

Kione laughed at him. “Run? I'm not running, _you_ should be running!”

He came again, and Geoff had no trouble blocking his attack. Geoff moved quickly, ducking and slashing at Kione's legs. Kione cried out, and the Ender Pearl pulsed again, but he only went a few feet before he stopped and fell to his knees, gasping for breath.

“Are you fucking done yet?” Geoff asked, holding one of his blades at Kione's neck, whose face was pained and angry as he cursed under his breath.

“Nobody told you how the Ender Pearl worked, did they?” Griffon said, approaching slowly. Her sword was held before her, but it didn't look like she was in a hurry to strike. “Or at least, they never warned you about the side effects. You've obviously been running around with it for too long.”

Even though Kione was weakened – apparently by his own doing – nobody lowered their weapons. Kione glared at Griffon, whose expression was the same as the chief's when she spoke of the man – outright disgust. 

“You call yourself an Alati,” Griffon said through grit teeth. Michael could see the tremors in her blade. An even more obvious sign of her anger was the state of her feathers – her wings were incredibly ruffled, her feathers sticking out aggressively. “You killed your own brothers.”

“They were no brothers of mine,” Kione replied, still clutching the Ender Pearl in his hand, the very thing that was weakening him, and was about the be the cause of his death. He breathed heavily for a moment, eyes locked with Griffon's, and then his arm jerked up.

Griffon moved quicker and her blade reached him even before Geoff's. It was quick, and Kione hadn't even gotten his sword off the ground before her blade had left a great slash across his torso. Geoff moved away as Kione fell back, his wings crumpling underneath him, blood soaking into his clothes. Griffon stood above him, her face hard as stone, and Michael wondered if she might bring overkill on the man. She simply glared down at him, though, and a few seconds later, he said through his gasps,

“She'll... avenge me.”

Geoff sheathed his swords, and one after another, so did the rest of the Achievement Hunters. He put a hand on Griffon's shoulder, gently moving her arm, lowering her blade. A few seconds later, her feathers seemed to calm down as well.

All the while, Kione lied on the ground, gasping for his last breaths. The Ender Pearl rolled out of his hand and Griffon picked it up. She spared Kione's body one last glance and turned away, lips tight.

“That is one of the reasons humans feared these artifacts,” she said to them, holding it before her. “It gives you great speed... at a cost. He'd already passed his limit, running back and forth from Gate to Gate, and eventually... I believe it would have done the job of killing him for us.”

Michael watched her roll it over in her hands. It was an old thing, and dangerous, and Kione had had it for... Michael felt his heart drop. He'd had it for months. He looked over at Gavin, who seemed to have been thinking the same thing.

“We've sent messages for help from our sister clan, but we're not even sure they're getting through,” Gavin had told him in Ad Lucem, weeks and weeks ago. “Nobody's come back yet.”

One messenger after another, and they were all gone.

“He's dead now,” he said quietly, as if that would console Gavin and Griffon at all. He looked at the now lifeless body on the ground. Was that what happened what an Alati went full out insane?

“That's it, then,” Jack said. “He was the one that started all this, and we took him out. Does that mean we're done up here?”

Griffon nodded. “With access to Ad Astra open again, we can request help from their Guardians and deal with the rogue dragon. I will return to Ender Pearl at the Gate, and we'll leave.”

She walked past them all quietly, the Ender Pearl held carefully in her hands as she passed under the archway and went inside. Outside, the Achievement Hunters exchanged mixed expressions.

“I thought he'd be harder to get rid of,” Caleb said finally, glancing at the body. “Since he's been running around all this time... I guess it's a good thing he reached the end of his rope when he did.”

Michael had to agree with him – he'd been prepared for more of a challenge, and he thought he'd had it when Kione first attacked. That had been one of the quickest battles he'd ever been in. Not that he wanted to keep fighting, but... there was still a tight feeling in his chest, pent up rage that hadn't been released. So many Alati had been killed because of this insane bastard, and he didn't even get half of what he deserved. 

A few seconds passed, and Michael probably would have gone on thinking about how the mission itself wasn't as difficult as he thought it would be had he not heard the sound that he did – and it was impossible not hear the long roar echoing off the mountain side. Michael froze as soon as he realized what the sound was, and so did everyone else. It came again, closer to an earsplitting shriek that time, and Michael turned with great reluctance to look up and see the dark shape moving haphazardly straight toward them.

 _There's nowhere to run_ , his mind told him as he watched the shape get larger as it got closer and closer. He dimly registered Griffon rushing back to them. _It's fucking seen you and it's coming to rip you to shreds._

As a burst of sudden fear rose in Michael chest, Geoff spoke one word which summarized everything that they were thinking:

“Fuck.”


	11. The Dragon and the Gate of Roses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They battle an insane dragon, and somebody is badly injured. On another note, Ray makes an entrance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All I have to say is that I saw my chance to tip my hat to Tuxedo Mask, and I took it.

 

“She'll avenge me,” Kione had said. “My dragon will help me, she does whatever I tell her to.”

Kione was now a dead body bleeding out on the road, and “his” dragon was flying at them. 

“Fuck,” said Geoff.

“There's no way we can outrun it,” Ryan said. Michael's eyes were glued to the dragon's wings.

“It'll destroy the Gate if we hide inside,” Griffon said, cursing under her breath. “We don't have any time...”

“We don't have any other choices, either, it already knows we're here,” Geoff said. Michael heard the sound of sliding steel, and when he turned, Geoff's swords were in his hands again. “Unless we want to leap off the path right now and save it the trouble.”

“You're going to fight it?” Griffon asked, looking shocked. The dragon's shadow was closing in on them.

“Do you have a better idea?” Geoff looked around at the rest of the party, waiting for their word. Jack was the first to respond, and he had nothing to say as he feted his axe from his back.

“Remember when you told me you wanted to kill a dragon?” Gavin asked Michael, his eyes wide and his feathers sleek. Fear was mixed into the green, but his hand was clutching the hilt of his dagger. 

Michael did remember that night, walking down the streets of Vegas in the middle of the night only a couple months ago, before he'd really started to worry about any of this. He remembered Gavin saying that he was an idiot.

But he'd also said that he believed Michael could do it one day.

“Well, I think this is your chance,” Gavin said when Michael didn't respond.

He didn't get the chance to say anything, either, because a second later, the dragon was roaring and lifting its head and Geoff was shouting, “Get the hell out of the way!” Gavin flapped his wings and disappeared from Michael's side, and he rolled away from the jet of fire that the dragon aimed at them – and fuck, Gavin was right about the fire. Even when he wasn't close to it, it was hotter than any flame he'd seen, burning white before dying out in the air, leaving a scorched mountain side behind. 

Just as Michael was about to stand again, the ground shook and claws scraped against stone as the dragon landed awkwardly on the path ahead of them. Half of its body clung to the rock face above, but its huge wings blocked off half the road. The Achievement Hunters stood frozen as it stared at them all in turn with one large, amber eye which glowed like embers. 

Griffon moved very slowly, her hands empty. “Stay very still,” she told them. As soon as she took a step closer to it, the dragon's head swivelled back to her, its eyes narrowed dangerously, iridescent scales glinting in the light. She's going to try and calm it, Michael thought. His hand inched toward his sword – just from looking at it, he knew her attempt wouldn't work. As much as he would have liked to walk away from it, he still remembered Ad Lucem's Chief's words.

“ _I believe that creature is beyond any help we might give it to remedy the situation.”_

It didn't look like a particularly old one; it was larger than any beast he'd faced, that was for sure, but it definitely wasn't the size of an entire hill, and its wings, dark and leathery, marred with strange burn marks, were what made up most of its mass. It stared down at her as if waiting for her to speak, and she lifted her hands higher.

“I do not want to harm you,” she said to it, slowly and calmly. She stopped, waiting for it to move. Her hand twitched down, and Michael realized that she wasn't trying to calm it. She was stalling for time.

There was a pause maybe three seconds long. After that, several things happened at once – Michael drew his weapons as the dragon's head snapped forward, jaws wide open, and Geoff leaped to defend Griffon with a shout. Griffon was gone in an instant and the dragon reared back when Geoff's sword caught its lip.

“Just hitting it when we can isn't going to work,” Geoff backed away from the great beast as it made a trail of fire across the road. 

“The eyes and wings are its weaknesses,” Ryan barked, readying his bow. “We need to get it grounded!”

“Leave that to Gavin and I,” Griffon unsheathed her blade, and Gavin took to the air. The dragon's eyes followed him and it stretched its wings. “You all keep it distracted!”

That's easier said than done, Michael thought as the dragon launched itself up. Only Ryan's arrows could reach it and he wasn't sure if that would be enough to take its sight from Gavin. But as Gavin flew above it, its off-kilter wing beats were disrupted even more as Ryan's arrow lodged itself in its wing. It reeled back immediately and dived for him. 

As Ryan fled from the dragon's teeth, Michael cursed the fact that the road wasn't wide enough for them to fight properly. Griffon and Gavin each flitted down to tear at its wings and Jack provoked it before it could knock them out of the air, and Michael watched and waited for an opening. The problem was that there was no pattern whatsoever to what it was doing – it was just attacking anyone that came near, snapping at Geoff and Jack, swiping at him and Caleb, shooting fire at those it couldn't reach.

To add to the situation, the dirt and dust on the road burned, making it even harder to manoeuvre and causing Michael to feel like there was a fire right in his own armour, and each wing beat scattered ashes in the air. Their ears were ringing from each shriek and roar and the blood ran from a wound each time the dragon made a sudden strike. 

Michael knew that battling dragons was nasty shit – everybody had known that – but this was one of the most hellish fights he'd ever been in. 

He saw Geoff motioning to him, making a circular motion – _get in behind it_. The dragon landed itself soon after and Michael back away from it slowly, waiting for it to turn its attention back to Geoff. Its wings bled and could hardly keep it off the ground anymorej just a few more strikes and they'd be that much closer to finishing it. Caleb joined Geoff in distracting it and Michael made a break for it.

It was a mistake.

The dragon noticed his sudden movement and swung around again – but instead of attacking with its claws like Michael expected, the dragon's long, heavy tail came whipping toward him, too fast for Michael to dodge. It smashed into his torso, completely knocking the air out of his lungs, and his sword was gone from his hand as he was sent flying. He heard multiple voices calling his name, and when he managed to open his eyes a scream ripped itself from his throat because the road was gone – and _fuck, he was falling into the ravine!_

However, his scream was cut short as a pair of arms wrapped around his chest, and green wings halted his fall. _Gavin_

“I've got you, Michael!” Gavin said into his ear, his wings flapping madly to bring them back to the road. “You're my boy, Michael, I've got you!”

“Holy shit, Gavin,” Michael breathed, trying to get his shaking under control. His feet swung uselessly, looking for purchase on nothing. He'd almost fallen to his death – he could be flat as a piece of parchment right now, but Gavin had him under the arms and he was safe. The relief was enough to overrun the fear of being dropped. Gavin wasn't going to drop him.

Gavin had saved his goddamn life. 

As Gavin dropped him safely back on the road, the dragon let out a long, pained screech; Griffon's sword was lodged in its shoulder and its wings were disabled. Michael and Gavin jumped into action as soon as they could. Michael quickly grabbed his sword from where it had landed and Griffon tried to do the same, but the dragon was focused on her, and despite Ryan's arrows, it never allowed her close enough. It kept to the middle of the road, preventing them from surrounding it, and even though it could no longer fly, it still had an arsenal of strong scales, large teeth, claws, and the hottest fire in the world, all of which it used against them. 

“Tough son of a bitch,” Michael said under his breath. Geoff stood next to him, breathing heavily.

“This is taking too long,” he said. “At this rate, even though we took its wings out, we'll end up exhausting ourselves. Gavin's not enough, we need someone else to get up there if Griffon's getting her saw back.”

“Well, unless one of us has the ability to sprout wings, we can't exactly do that!”

Griffon was making another attempt to retrieve her sword while he spoke. She darted through the air, moving in a zigzag and trying to throw of the beast, but even it wasn't enough. As soon as she evaded a ball of fire, the dragon raised its bloody claws – and then something shot down in front of it, gleaming white on green as it struck through the dragon's scales, and the dragon recoiled with a shriek. Griffon rose higher, untouched, and Michael was confused as to what had happened until he saw a flash of red descend from the sky and land not far away.

It was another Alati. Armoured similarly to Griffon and Gavin, with dark hair and eyes and red feathers, he landed next to the thin blade that had stuck in the ground after striking the dragon. Please don't let him be insane, too, Michael thought desperately. His wish was granted, because before the unfamiliar man jumped to the air again, he shouted, “Get your sword fast, Griffon, I'll help distract it!”

“Looks like you got what you wanted, Geoff,” Michael said, watching as Gavin and the red-winged Alati circled the dragon, successfully drawing its fire and claws away from Griffon long enough for her to draw her blade from its joint. 

“That had better be someone from Ad Astra,” Geoff replied. The newcomer sent him a glance over his shoulder.

“Sorry I'm late to the party,” he said. “Had a little trouble getting up here, that's all!”

“That doesn't matter now,” Ryan said, notching an arrow. Just having an extra set of hands to help them was enough for all of them. “What matters is that we put this thing out of its misery.”

“We'll keep its eyes up here,” Griffon shouted. “When you guys see an opening, _take it_!”

Filled with fresh determination, Michael knew the battle was in their favour. With three Alati in the air and five humans on the ground, the dragon's actions became even wilder, but this also made it easier for them to dart in and strike when it was breathing fire. With their weapons edged with green-metal they were able to break through the creature's scales, and dark blood covered the green. Adrenaline rushed through Michael's veins and for the first time since he saw the dragon's silhouette against the clouds, Michael felt sure of himself – the night in Vegas flashed through his mind and Gavin said _I think maybe you can do it one day_.

Three seconds later, time stopped. 

It slowed down, because the dragon was suddenly turning away from Geoff and Caleb, and its claws were sweeping across in a long arc toward Michael. He saw them coming, but the movement was too sudden, too quick, but there was no way he was going to be able to dodge it. His body tensed automatically, prepared for the pain to come – and then somebody shouted his name again. There was a flurry of green and time stopped, because for one second, Michael's vision was full of green. Gavin's feathers, flecked with white and orange. Gavin's eyes, wide and locked onto Michael's, flooding with pain. 

And then he was gone, quick as he'd appeared, flung away with a cry of pain as the dragon's claws tore his skin. Michael, unable to believe it, turned and saw him over his shoulder, watched Gavin hit the ground and roll, watched him come to a stop and not get up again. For a few seconds, he could only stare as his mind replayed the moment over and over again, and then he felt... empty.

_You're my boy, Michael._

No, he didn't feel empty. It was the opposite – what he felt spreading through his body was anger – hot, harsh, unspeakable _rage_. 

He turned away from Gavin, and there was only one thing in his mind: _kill the fucking dragon_. It was all he could focus on, the dragon's gold eyes in front of him. He saw Griffon fall back, rushing to Gavin's aid, and his hand was tight on this sword.

_You're my boy._

He was going to kill this thing, and it wasn't going to be for glory. 

_I promised the Chief I'd keep you safe._

His blood pounded in his ears as he rushed forward with a wordless shout, and for a moment he felt like he could have flown, could have jumped, flown, and struck down to the dragon's skull powered solely by the anger in his veins. The red-winged Alati in the air was frantically trying to draw the dragon away, and the Achievement Hunters practically leaped out of the way of their berserk companion, and Michael ignored even the dragon's attempts to skewer him as he thrust his sword as hard as he could in the first place he could reach.

The dragon staggered back as blood flowed from its chest and Michael followed it, striking again and again. He hardly knew where he was attacking as he swung almost wildly. There wasn't any pain in his wounds anymore. There was just him and the dragon. The flashes of green and the spatters of red, and the weakening roars of the dragon.

He couldn't have said how many times he swung his sword, making a bloody mess of the dragon's scales, but finally he heard his name, somebody yelling at him, getting louder every time until it finally overwhelmed the sound of his own breathing. Geoff was calling him, telling him to stop, and only then did he realize that the creature wasn't attacking him anymore. It was lying motionless on the road, and Michael was covered in its blood. 

“It's done, Michael, it's done!” Geoff was saying. The red-winged Alati landed, concern etched on his face. “It's dead!”

Michael stared down at it, his hands shaking. The dragon's eyes were closed, its front cut apart. He'd killed it. Torn it apart, and if Geoff hadn't broken through to him, he'd might have kept going, ripping up something already dead. Michael dropped his sword, stumbling back a few steps, and he heard quick words behind him, and finally remembered what he was doing.

 _Gavin_. Michael spun around and ran, only stopping when he reached the Gavin lying on the ground. Griffon and Caleb hovered over him, and his feathers weren't so green anymore. They were covered in dirt and ash, black and burned because he had to brave fire to reach Michael in time. His clothes and face were wet with blood, his eyes were shut tight and his teeth clenched against the pain as Griffon worked to stem the blood flow from his abdomen. 

“You idiot,” Michael said as he dropped to his knees next to Gavin. He was still conscious. He'd just taken dragon fire and claws, and he was still conscious. “You fucking _idiot!_ ”

Gavin's eyes cracked open, and he managed a smile. “Hi – Michael.”

“Don't talk, Gavin,” Griffon said. Gavin winced as Caleb began wrapping another cloth over his wounds. 

“Why'd you have to do that, huh?” Michael asked. He said he'd keep Gavin safe. He'd challenged the Chief to get Gavin on this mission. I shouldn't have done that, he thought. He shouldn't have come here. “Why'd you have to fucking do that? I can take a hit, Gavin – you didn't need to do that! You already did it, the debt's gone; you didn't have to try and save my goddamn life!”

Gavin stared up at him, gasping for shorter breaths. His eyes were sad. “I don't care – about the debt,” he said, shaking his head. Griffon told him to shut up. “I don't – I stopped... stopped caring – about that – a long time ago.”

 _I stopped caring about that a long time ago_. “What are you talking about?”

“You're my boy, Michael,” Gavin replied faintly. Pain took over his expression, and his head fell back.

“Gavin?” Mihcael leaned forward. He could still see his chest rising, falling. “Gavin?”

“We need to move him,” Griffon said. Michael couldn't take his eyes from Gavin's closed ones. No, he thought, just – no. “But there's nothing at the Gate of Diamond we can use, maybe...”

“I know where we can take him,” said the other Alati. He stood behind Michael, his sword sheathed. “It's not far from here, certainly closer than either of the villages.”

“What are you talking about, Ray?” Griffon asked.

The red-winged Alati, Ray, pointed in the direction of Ad Astra. “There's a place I set up between here and Ad Astra. We were going to launch an attack from there and it has medical supplies. If we move fast we can get there in time to...”

Griffon didn't even glance behind her before she was gathering Gavin in her arms. “Show me,” she said, standing and spreading her wings. Michael stared at the broken feathers of their companion dragging on the ground. “There's no time.”

“We'll follow you on foot,” Geoff said quickly. Griffon didn't even need to question why he'd want to follow instead of going back. The concept was unthinkable to Michael. He stood as Griffon took to the air with Gavin, and Ray cast him a look over his shoulder.

“I'm sorry,” he said. “I wasn't fast enough.”

“Just hurry,” Michael told him, his voice hollow. “Don't let him die.”

He nodded, and he was in the air with a flash of red feathers – Michael watched them going, flying faster than he'd ever seen.

_You don't have to worry about finding something bigger and badder, do you?_

_It doesn't get much bigger than dragons._

_You don't have to fight it, though,_ Dan had said. You didn't have to fight it.

Jack approached him quietly, his axe no longer in his hands. Instead, he had Michael's sword in one hand, and Gavin's green-metal dagger in the other. He held them out to Michael, and Michael took them, sheathing his sword and clutching Gavin's dagger like that would somehow save his life. 

“Let's go,” Geoff said, starting off in the direction of Ad Astra. “As fast as we can.”

The Achievement Hunters followed him, passing quietly by the bodies of Kione and his dragon. 

_)_

The sun was starting to dip below the horizon when they saw the smooth stone building perched on the side of the road. Their journey was silent, warm, and sticky, and they were glad when they saw an Alati wave to them from the roof. It was Ray, his feathers glimmering in the dying sunlight. They'd arrived.

“Well?” Geoff asked as soon as they were in earshot. Michael waited with his breath held – was he going to shake his head and say sorry again? 

He didn't. He dropped down to them and said, “He hasn't woken up again, but Griffon's doing his bandages.”

“He's alive, then,” Geoff said, and there was a collective sigh of relief. 

“Barely,” Ray replied. “The gashes from the claws were bad enough, but that dragon did a number on his wings, too.”

All Michael heard was “he's alive.” The anxiety that had plagued him all the way here had taken a turn, and his fingers tightened around the dagger. Gavin's face flashed in his mind, and he remembered all of the blood. There was so much of it – but Gavin was still alive. Michael almost wanted to laugh, because it was a goddamn _miracle_.

“Is this another Gate?” Geoff asked as Ray led then quickly inside. Ray shook his head.

“Not officially, at least,” he said. “I was sent to Ad Lucem a while ago, but I think you already know why I couldn't get through. None of us could. I got away with a few injuries, and I was building this up to be our base while I was healing, but... We don't need it anymore, I guess. Here.”

He held a door open, and Michael caught a hint of gold as Griffon passed by. Instead of going in, Geoff stepped aside and pushed Michael forward. Michael went without hesitation, and as soon as Griffon noticed him in the room, she gave him an exasperated look.

“If Ray didn't have an elixir here,” she began, gesturing to an empty glass bottle next to the bed, “then I wouldn't be able to tell you that I can still help him.”

Her hands were full of bandages stained crimson. She was cleaning up, and she took the last bottles from the stool next to Gavin's bed before slipping out of the room. Michael approached the bed slowly, and he had the distinct feeling that if he made any sound at all, something would break. 

His face was clean of blood and the bandages wrapped around his torso were white, but what made Gavin seem so fragile was the state of his wings. It looked like Griffon had made an effort to clean them, but his usually beautiful wings still seemed stunted, folded weirdly under his body. The feathers that had been burned the worst were gone, but those that were left were still bent, frayed, and ashen. Some were stained pink. They made Gavin look much older, much more frail. 

But his chest rose and fell – very slowly, up and down – small breaths passed his lips, and his face was relaxed, unaware of how close to death he was.

“You idiot,” Michael muttered. He looked away, and he saw Gavin's belt hanging on one of the pegs on the wall, an empty sheath attached. He took a couple steps and slid the dagger in it, putting it where it belonged. 

Gavin did not respond. 


	12. We Killed the Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We did it, Gavin. We're heroes. You're a goddamn hero."

Ray was gone when he woke up in the morning. Griffon told him that he'd gone to Ad Astra to explain to the Chief there what had happened, and they'd remain at the Gate of Roses until they'd dealt with their more serious wounds. Then she told him to go back to bed and left to fix Gavin's bandages.

Michael ended up just staring at the ceiling for the first few minutes, and the first thing he thought about was how his entire body felt like a block of lead. Lead on top of lead, and then maybe some iron. His arms and legs ached and his stomach hurt more than anything since it had taken a whack from a dragon's tail. The rest of him was covered in bruises and burns, which were thankfully small.

They fought a dragon yesterday, he thought, his mind already groggy. They fought a dragon and beat it. It amazed him, but that wasn't enough to stop him from dropping off into a much needed sleep again.

_)_

He woke up the next time because Caleb had gotten up at some point and was helping Griffon. Caleb and Ryan came out of the battle with the least amount of wounds and were the only Achievement Hunters that were able to walk around without looking like they'd put out their back, and as such, Griffon had no qualm with taking charge and sending them to fetch that bottle or that strip of gauze.

Michael still remembered her saying very clearly, “I take my job seriously.” And despite her own wounds and singed feathers, she worked just as well as before.

Yet, even though he was confident in her abilities, there was still one image he couldn't get out of his head – Gavin's wings, stained and burned, and his pale face. The only change in Gavin between last night and this morning was the clean set of bandages. Gavin didn't wake up and complain about how the ointment Griffon used stung like hell, and he didn't reach over and try to hug the person next to him because they fought a fucking dragon and _survived_.

“You can't kill Mogar, bitches,” Michael said to them, and that reminded him that he never told that story to Gavin. He never told Gavin the story of Mogar even though he'd referred to himself as such a couple times before. Gavin hadn't asked and it hadn't crossed his mind.

That lead him to where he was now, sitting awkwardly next to an unconscious Gavin, waiting for him to wake up so Michael could tell him about why he referred to himself as some guy named Mogar. Gavin's eyes remained closed and his breath slow and shallow, and Michael was pretty sure that just sitting there wasn't going to wake Gavin up, but he couldn't help it. There wasn't much else for him to do, and even if there was he probably wouldn't be distracted from the fact that Gavin had sustained the worst injury.

“You fucking dumb ass,” Michael muttered. He told the Chief he'd keep Gavin safe and he told Gavin he'd have his back, and look what happened. It ended up being the other way around, and it made Michael want to punch Gavin. Or himself. His fist wanted to come into contact with something. Not that it would solve anything, but at least he'd feel a little better.

However, the looming threat of being punched in the face (without causing further blood loss, or course) was not enough to wake Gavin, and in the end Michael was pulled away from the bed when Ray returned, bringing with him tow other Alati from Ad Astra.

He missed their names, but from the look of the armour and weapons they carried, Michael knew they were Guardians. One had soft blue wings and the other had gold and pink, and they were in the process of thanking everyone they saw for what they'd done.

“You've done us a great service, doing what we couldn't,” said the woman with blue feathers in a heavy accent. “We wanted to find another solution, but we were unsuccessful, and I'm sorry for your injuries.”

The man with the gold and pink wings just stared at Michael ever since Ray pointed him out. Michael figured that he'd either never seen a human before, or was amazed that Michael had been the one to kill the dragon. Michael greeted him with a nod, which was enough for the guy's attention to snap back to what he was supposed to be doing.

“We're going to Ad Lucem as fast as we can,” he explained. “We'll give the Chief Ray's report, and then we'll stay and help with the beasts.”

“There are more coming after us,” his companion added. “Which shouldn't take more than a few hours.”

“They'll be grateful for your help,” Griffon said. Michael caught her glance to the room where Gavin laid, and after a few seconds she said, “Wait, let me write a message for you to pass on.”

She slipped out of the room and the Guardians from Ad Astra waited patiently until she returned and gave them two envelopes. Michael glimpsed what was scrawled on them, but the letters weren't in his language. The Alati with blue feathers took the letters and hid them away, and then the two gave their farewells. The male was still glancing at Michael over his shoulder as they went, and Ray waved them off.

“You're staying here?” Michael asked.

“I'm kind of the go-to guy for things like this,” Ray replied, shrugging. “Not that things like this happen often, but that's what happens when you're a messenger-turned-Guardian. I have to carry through, you know?”

Michael had to smile at that. “What are the chances of that?”

“Chances of what?”

Geoff answered before Michael could. “He was my delivery monkey before I hired him as a mercenary,” he said from across the room, grinning. “And look at him now, a goddamn dragon slayer!”

Don't bring it up, Michael thought, don't bring it up...

“Yeah,” Ryan chimed in. “It's not every day you go from delivering rocks to killing dragons.”

The Achievement all burst into laughter, and Griffon had a hand over her mouth, but when Michael expected Ray to ask why the hell he delivered rocks, Ray said, “Man, you must have been really fucking determined to get that job if you delivered a bunch of rocks.”

Michael breathed a sigh of relief, and found himself laughing soon after. “You have no fucking idea. It was hell getting it through the forest, but I'm here now, right?”

Ray looked surprised. “I didn't think humans still used the forest paths.”

“They don't,” Geoff said, and then slapped his knees. “Damn, everybody sit down, it's story time! Michael Jones and the Box of Destiny!”

“That was Gavin's name for it,” Michael said quickly. Ray was already making himself comfortable though, and Michael tried to find a place to sit where he could still see Gavin's door, even though it was shut.

“We'll be here a couple days,” Ray said with another shrug, apparently interested in one of the dumbest stories he was ever going to hear (but still a good one, in Michael opinion, because Ryan was right and he just didn't get up one day and say, “I'm going to kill a goddamn dragon today.”). “There's no point in sitting in a corner all day. Does our team of dragon hunters have a name?”

“We're the Achievement Hunters,” they said simultaneously. Caleb puffed his chest out and grinned widely, and then Geoff swatted his head and ordered him to “get me a drink, my legs are sore.”

It probably wasn't the impression that Ray expected from a group of mercenaries who'd just accomplished what they did, but it could not be said that they didn't make a good one.

_)_

Their plan for the next few days was to wait at the Gate of Roses – named by Ray when he established it as a base; he had an affinity for those flowers, it seemed – until Griffon was sure that Gavin wouldn't die if they moved him. After that, Ray informed them that the Chief of Ad Astra wanted to speak with them, and so they decided that their next destination was the village on the other side of the Southern Range.

Ad Astra was close to them – not close enough to move about without risk (which they'd need less than a day's time for) but close enough that Michael could see it if he stood on the roof and faced south. The mountain stretched down below him and turned into a wide, flat plain split up by two large rivers. Ad Astra was between them, and beyond it was the ocean.

“It's one of the biggest settlements,” Ray told him. Every moment in Ray's presence was a chance for story telling. “All the Alati in the south used to live there, but some of them split and migrated.”

“You make it sound like there was trouble before that,” Michael commented.

“There was,” Ray said, nodding. “Not enough to move all the way across the continent, but enough that people wanted to go somewhere else. And hey, the forest was abandoned, so why not? That's easier than moving half way across the world.”

The statement took a few seconds to sink in, and the Michael turned to Ray, eyes wide. “Wait a second, how many villages are there?”

Ray looked at him like he'd grown an extra arm. “Did you seriously think Ad Astra and Ad Lucem were the only villages?”

“Well, I haven't heard of any others!”

“You didn't hear about these ones until a few months ago, either!”

“Yeah, but Gavin or Griffon never mentioned any! Seriously, though, are there a lot?”

Ray shook his head. “Just a couple, but still,” he let loose a laugh. “I forget sometimes that humans don't remember shit. I don't think anybody's going to mind if I tell you this, anyway. The biggest village is east of here, way, way east, in a jungle. It's the oldest one, too – the homeland. And then there's a bunch of crazy ass holes who've made a settlement on an island up north that's just a bunch of volcanoes – hell if I know why they're all the way over there. If there are more, they're pretty well hidden.”

Michael stared out at the landscape below them. He was shocked, to be honest. He'd come all this way thinking that these two villages were the only ones, but they weren't. The Alati were all over the map – and they were damn good at hiding themselves. Abandoned woods and lonely mountains, an island of active volcanoes, and a jungle. No wonder humans didn't know of them.

He was dumbfounded, and it seemed like it was becoming a much more regular occurrence, what with Ray's stories and – well, he was in completely unfamiliar territory, it was to be expected.

“You look like you just blew your mind twice over,” Ray commented. Michael turned to him slowly.

“I met Gavin because I hit him in the head with a fucking rock by _accident_ ,” he said. “And now I'm standing up here and I just killed a dragon two days ago. You have no idea.”

_)_

Gavin woke up on the second day, a while after Griffon had called Michael off the roof check his bandages. She pronounced them to be in top shape (or as top as they could be for having been burned by a dragon), and then she moved on to Jack, who could hardly even move his left arm because of a burn. No longer distracted by Ray, Michael almost immediately found himself sitting again on the stood next to Gavin.

“Come on,” he said to the unconscious man. “If Jack can get up and around by now, you can at least open your damn eyes.”

That was a dumb thing to say to someone who couldn't hear you, but it felt strange to him to just sit there and do nothing. Nothing doing nothing done, or something like that. It was while Michael debated this in his mind that Gavin woke up, and as soon as Michael realized it, he froze.

“Gavin?” hi eyes were open only a sliver, only enough that Michael could just see the green. Michael leaned forward as Gavin's lips twitched. “What?”

Gavin took a slow breath and weakly repeated whatever he'd said, and Michael only grew more confused.

“You're speaking gibberish, buddy,” he told Gavin, who blinked slowly and spoke again, low and groggy. That time, Michael managed to catch one word, and then he realized that Gavin was actually speaking in his own language. _Draco,_ he'd said, something about _draco_. Sounded like _dracones_. “Dragon? Are you talking about the dragon?”

Gavin didn't reply, and his eyes slid shut again.

“Gav?” Michael said after a moment. Nothing. He was unconscious again.

“Was he awake?”

Michael jumped when he heard the voice, and looked to see Griffon in the doorway. “Uh – just now, he... dropped off again, I think.”

Griffon nodded once. “That's good,” she said softly.

“He said something,” Michael told her, shrugging. “I have no idea what he said, though.”

Her lips curled up slightly. “He's got a lot of medicine in him right now, _a lot_. I didn't expect him to wake up, let alone be able to say anything, especially not in the second language.”

“Second language?”

“The one you speak,” Griffon clarified. “We learn two languages. Not very original to call them first and second, right? First is ours, second is yours. Some Alati don't speak it well, but we learn it anyway. For honour. I can tell you more later, if you like. Did you catch anything he said?”

Michael shook his head. “I got one word. Draco, or something.”

“Dragon,” she translated. She watched Gavin for a moment. “I guess we'll have to wait until he's a little more coherent, I guess. But this is good. If he's got the strength to open his eyes and speak at this point –”

“He's got a good chance, right?” Michael blurted, leaning off the edge of the stool. Griffon smiled at him and nodded, and he felt some of the tension in his muscles lessen. He survived. He's going to be fine. “Thanks.”

Griffon tilted her head to the side and opened her mouth to speak, but she paused as she took a breath. A few seconds later, she changed her mind and simply said, “You're welcome,” before sidling out of the room, leaving him alone.

_)_

Gavin didn't wake up again that day, nor did he the next day, or the day after that. He seemed to have expended what little energy he had to talk about dragons to someone who couldn't even understand what he was saying. However, Griffon was convinced that he was stable enough to move, and after four days at the Gate of Roses, she and Ray flew with an unconscious Gavin to Ad Astra near the base of the mountain while the Achievement Hunters followed carefully.

As fine and dandy as their legs were, their arms were not as good, so Michael was glad that the mountains were still empty and their only encounters during the day and a half journey were with bugs and loose stones on the roads. None of them were in the mood to test their limits. For the most part, at least.

“Michael, if you try and walk any faster you're going to end up walking right up my back and down the other side,” Geoff said as they neared the village. “Cool it a bit.”

“Sorry,” Michael grumbled, forcing himself to slow down. He'd kept a steady pace, but the closer they came to Ad Astra, the harder it got to keep the same rate. He was tense again, and felt like each step was slower than the last. What if Gavin woke up again in the time it took to get down there and wanted to talk to him?

Ryan was apparently reading his mind six feet behind him. “As much as I'm sure you'd like to just take a hop, step and a jump right over to the village, I don't think Griffon and Caleb would appreciate you ruining the work they put into those bandages.”

“Yeah,” Caleb agreed. “Nice and steady, Michael. Gavin’ll be fine.”

“Nice and steady” got them down from the mountain almost agonizingly slow, but Michael managed it by telling himself that Griffon had kept him alive at the Gate of Roses when he was bleeding all over the place, and she could do it in Ad Astra, where there were probably better facilities available to her. He’d be fine. He was alive in the first place, the lucky bastard. The stupid, lucky idiot.

 _I stopped caring about the debt a long time ago_ , Gavin had said after shielding Michael from the dragon. That was the first thing Michael was going to ask him about – just as soon as he was able to speak in an understandable language.

_)_

Ray met them again when they were a couple hours out from the village, and he guided them the rest of the way after informing them that Gavin was still fine. He gave Michael an odd look after he’d asked quickly whether or not Gavin had woken up again.

“Once,” he answered. “But he’s still hung up on syrups, so even by our standards he was talking half gibberish.”

“See, Michael?” Geoff said, clapping him on the shoulder as he walked by. “Nothing to worry about.”

They finally reached Ad Astra near midday. It was closer to a town than a village, with sprawling streets that were going to be difficult to navigate without help, and buildings that were almost identical to those in Ad Lucem. The differences were that they were all actually on the ground, and they looked to have something to cover the gaps in their roofs. Michael figured they were to block out rain and wind, considering they were along the coast.

The streets were also filled with the people of the village, all with wings just as colourful as their counterparts in the woods. They all watched the group of humans passing by, and right from the moment they walked in they were a lot more receptive that the Alati in Ad Lucem had been. They smiled, waved to them, and a small child managed a clumsy “hello” in the “second” language.

It was unexpected, and Michael wasn’t sure how to react to it other than to wave back at the kid.

“Everybody knows what you did by now,” Ray told them. The Alati around them parted automatically when they saw Ray leading them. “Just wait until you see the Chief,” he said jovially. “There’s probably going to be a festival after you talk to him. Good thing you can still move your legs!”

“Are they going to make Geoff dance?” Caleb asked.

“Hey, I can dance a hell of a lot better than you can,” Geoff retorted. Michael would have joined in the joking, but Ray had led them into what was probably the town square and they were approached by four Alati. 

“If you guys are up for talking to the Chief,” Ray started, gesturing to one of the buildings that rose above the others. “These guys'll take your things for you and bring them to the clinic.”

“Oh, please take this from me,” Caleb said, his voice filled with relief. He and Ryan had been carrying most of their supplies, and he promptly dropped what he had. 

“As long as I can have a stool,” Geoff said as the rest of them shucked off everything that weighed more than the clothes on their backs. Not having to carry all his shit around made Michael feel weightless for a few seconds.

“Stools will be provided,” Ray said as the other Alati gathered up their supplies. He waved them off, telling them to remind Griffon of their arrival, and then turned and led then through the town square. “It's not too far from here, don't have to be on your feet for long... And don't worry about Gavin, either, he's not going anywhere.”

He led them from the square to a street filled with small shop fronts – probably a market. Michael noticed a number of objects that were decorated with what looked like green-metal, and he remembered when Gavin told him that Ad Astra _did_ have more of the stuff due to their proximity to the Southern Range. It was loud and crowded there, but the sound diminished somewhat as Ray turned onto a long road lined with different types of blossoming trees rising up behind low, colourful walls. The amount of people here dwindled significantly until they were the only ones there.

At the end of the road was a three story building, which was decorated just as brightly as everything else around it. A staircase spiralled up next to one of its corners, pausing at each landing on its way up to the roof. Another Alati with blonde hair and lavender wings stood before the bottom steps, apparently waiting for them. 

“This is the Stair Master,” Ray said as they approached her. She rolled her eyes, but she seemed amused. “Courtney guards the stairs from ne'er do wells, right?”

“I'm paid to guard them from idiots,” she replied lightly. “Now, judging by what I've heard, I usually wouldn't let you up. But the Chief's waiting for you, so...” she stepped aside with a smile, and Michael started to wonder why half the Alati he met had similar senses of humour. He thanked her quietly as he passed, and she waved in return, and then patted Ray's wing as he walked by. 

“Just up to the third landing, guys,” Ray called to Geoff, who was leading the way. They stepped off the stairs where he directed, and Michael looked out over the town as he waited for Ray to catch up. The place was a maze, even more so from above.

Ray knocked and the door opened a few seconds later, and they were let inside by an Alati with a rage of blue in his feathers. The man brought them down a small hallway to another door, opened it for them, and then closed it behind them. Inside was much like Ad Lucem, except the light that came through the ceiling wasn't tinted green, and the Alati that was waiting for them didn't have an expression of eternal judgement. Unlike his counterpart in Ad Lucem, his features were much more relaxed.

He took a few seconds to look over them all, and then clasped his hands together and said jovially, “Well then, when our Guardian of the Gate of Roses told me you'd slain the dragon, I wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. But, I see you all now, and it was either a dragon that's got you so ragged, or a hundred beasts. And I don't believe there are even fifty beasts in the mountains right now.”

Geoff looked a little thrown off by the Chief's attitude, but he collected himself quickly. “I like to think I wasn't hallucinating, too. It'd be pretty hard to explain the bandages otherwise.”

The Chief smiled. “That it would. So, you're the Achievement Hunters. And if I were to guess, you are Geoff?” 

“Yes,” Geoff nodded. “How much has Ray told you?”

“I know you were sent to the mountains by the Chief of our sister clam in Ad Lucem, and two of her people are also here with you,” the Chief started. “I know you recovered the Ender Pearl – which I thank you greatly for – and you really didn't have any choice but to engage that dragon.”

“Then you're aware that it was someone from here – or used to be, at least – that was causing the problem?”

The Chief nodded, his expression falling somewhat. “Yes, I am aware of Kione's actions. To be honest with you, I should have known it sooner, but it was not until recently that I learned just how far he was gone.”

“But you exiled him in the first place –”

“He was exiled almost fifteen years ago, and not by my hand. That was the Chief before me.”

“Did you know the guys personally or something?” Caleb asked. The Chief looked directly at him and said quietly,

“He was my cousin.”

There was a moment of silence as they took in the information, and Michael's jaw tensed. It made sense – who'd want to kick their own family from their home? Being closer to another also tended to make a person biased. Michael felt sorry for him. They'd killed his cousin and hadn't even stopped to think about it.

“I'm sorry,” Caleb murmured. The Chief only shook his head.

“I am, too,” he said. “Lives were lost because I couldn't make a decision. I'm surprised I'm still chief after this... I should have realized my cousin was dead long before you encountered him.”

“Can't change what's done,” Geoff told him. “If you haven't been kicked out of the chair yet, then people are still expecting you to fix things.”

“After this disaster? Oh, definitely,” the Chief replied, some of his sunny disposition returning. “We're providing what we can – which means I shooed away every able-bodied Guardian and anyone skilled enough in herding beasts properly. Response was quick since we were planning an attack already. You just happened to get there faster, so it's a good thing I kept Ray posted at the Gate of Roses, ready to throw roses.”

“I'm always ready to throw roses,” Ray said – not only was the blade he used modelled after a rose, but he also carried at least one or two of the flowers on his person, though Michael doubted the real flowers would have much of an effect if he chucked them at his enemies.

“Which is why you're a Guardian. Now then,” the Chief's eyes swept over them again. It didn't feel half as lofty as it did in Ad Lucem. “You've done a great deal for us, whether you originally intended to or not. Not only did you restore the Ender Pearl in the Gate of Diamond, but you defeated Kione and the insane dragon. Our roads are open again and Ad Lucem is receiving aid, and the beasts' habitats will be restored to them. All due to your actions. This calls for celebration, don't you think, Achievement Hunters? You're heroes, after all.”

Silence fell over them all again, and the Chief simply smiled at them as he watched their reactions.

A wide grin made its way across Caleb's face. And Ryan clapped him on the back. Jack looked to be fighting a similar expression, and Geoff – he looked like the proudest man in the whole goddamn world. Michael was still stuck on the words, “you're heroes.”

His mouth was hanging open. But he didn't care. All he could think about was the night he told Gavin, “I want to actually _achieve_ something.” And now I've killed a dragon and I'm a fucking _hero_ , he thought. He couldn't wait to tell Gavin.

They're heroes.

_)_

It was different in Ad Astra than at the Gate of Roses. While nothing in the room made a sound, Michael could still catch snatches of conversation and activity from outside. Only when the sun began to hang low did it all start to fade. Gavin slept through it all, and Michael stayed on the stool next to him. He didn't want to miss his chance.

The torches were all lit before Gavin opened his eyes. Michael's own eyes were starting to get tired, but as soon as he caught the shift on the bed, he was alert again. Gavin's head moved slightly from side to side, and his hands slid over the blanket. Michael smiled – he was actually moving this time.

“Gavin?” He said quietly, hopeful. A few seconds later, Gavin opened his eyes, and Michael's smile widened. “Hey.”

Gavin blinked slowly and looked up at him. “Hi, Michael,” he breathed.

“Well, it took you long enough to wake up,” Michael said, relieved that he could actually understand what Gavin said. 

“Where are we?” Gavin asked.

“Ad Astra,” Michael answered quickly. “You've been out for about six days now.”

Gavin's eyebrows moved up in surprise. He looked away from Michael, saw the bandages wrapped around his torso, and then came back to Michael. He shifted again, but winced when he moved too far, so he stayed still. “Did we do it?” 

Michael nodded, reaching for Gavin's hand. “Yeah, Gav,” he said, giving Gavin's hand a squeeze. “Kione and that dragon are done.”

Gavin's eyes flickered to his hand in Michael's. “I survived, Michael,” he said, awed. “I – I survived the dragon and the fire and... How many people do you think can say they've done that?”

“Not a lot,” Michael said, chuckling. “Because there aren't a shit load of people in this world as insane as you.”

Gavin might have blushed, but it could have just been the torch light playing across his face. He fell silent, watching Michael's fingers over his, and casting gloomy expressions at his dull, broken feathers. Michael had learned enough by now to know that any Alati's feather's were pretty much their pride and joy, and he couldn't help but feel sorry for Gavin. He wanted to help somehow. 

But before that... his feathers wouldn't be like that in the first place if he hadn't risked his life trying to save Michael.

“Gavin,” he said seriously. “Why'd you do that? Take that hit for me?”

“What are you...” Gavin seemed more confused than ever. “Because you could have gotten killed, idiot.”

“I'm the idiot? _You're_ the one that nearly got killed! I thought you _were_ – you know, you're only here right now because of Griffon, and the only reason she was able to keep you alive is because Ray happened to have an elixir. You could easily have been dead right now if it wasn't for that.”

“But I'm not,” Gavin said, taken aback at Michael's outburst. “What's the problem?”

“The problem is that – you already...” Michael pursed his lips, his hand tight over Gavin's. It was warm, and he doesn't want to imagine how icy it could be. The problem was that he was ready to take that hit, was already protecting himself when Gavin... “The problem is that you didn't have to do it, Gavin. That debt was gone; you didn't have to put your life any more at risk.”

Gavin frowned at him, hurt in his eyes. “Is that the only reason you think I'd help you?” He asked, trying to tug his hand away. Michael only gripped it harder.

“That's why you wanted to come along in the first place, isn't it?”

“That was months ago, before I...” He trailed off and looked away.

“Before what? Talk to me, Gavin.”

It was a moment before Gavin responded. His eyes closed and his head fell back against the pillow – he's still weak, dumb ass, Michael told himself. But if Gavin could talk, he was going to get an answer.

“I came because I wanted to help you,” Gavin murmured, still not looking at Michael. He took a breath and said clearer, “Because... I like... being around you. You're the first human I ever met, and you've... showed me a lot. I wasn't going to just _let_ anything happen.”

Gavin's voice steadily faded until Michael could hardly hear what he was saying. But Michael did catch his words, and he felt the tension slowly leaving his body.

“You idiot,” he sighed. Before the expression on Gavin's face could sour any more, he continued quickly. “The best way to help us is to stay _alive_. Live another goddamn day, because – shit, Gavin, do you really think we'd be here at all if you weren't with us? Fuck no. I'd be in Austin right now, still wondering what the hell you were doing.”

That caught Gavin's attention. “Still? Were you worried about me, Michael?”

“I wasn't _worried_ , but it's not like I was just going to forget you.”

“That's a lie,” Gavin said after a couple seconds, a smirk pulling his lips. “You were worried.”

Michael shook his head. He wasn't in the mood to push this. “Fine, I was worried, but you didn't exactly do a good job of reassuring me, either. Just look at where we are right now.”

Gavin's eyes flashed to their hands again, and he licked his lips once before holding Michael's gaze. “Sorry,” he said softly. 

“Is that all you have to say?” Michael resisted the urge to punch him.

“What else should I say? Do you want me to promise not to do bad things again?”

“Will you?”

“Will _you_?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you going to run off to do other stupid things? You killed the dragon,” Gavin said, smiling. “You did it, my little Michael.”

“We did it,” Michael corrected him. His other hand went to hold Gavin's as well, holding on tightly. His fingers were warm, so warm. “We all did it. We're heroes, Gavin. You're a goddamn hero.”

Gavin's fingers squeezed back, and his smiled widened, showing teeth, and it was the most beautiful thing Michael had seen in a long time. 


	13. Wings

“ _That was a nice night.”_

“ _That’s all you have to say about it?”_

“ _I don’t remember much, Michael. This thing is from your point of view because you didn’t spend the last part all full of green oak syrup.”_

“ _That wasn’t the reason we made that decision, but I'll run with it since it doesn't affect what happens next. The dragon is dead and peace is coming back to the people in the south, but the story isn't over yet.”_

“ _Team Nice Dynamite isn't over.”_

“ _Team Nice Dynamite is never over. I'm ashamed that you would think something like that.”_

“ _I don't think that, I was just letting the readers know. We killed the literal dragon, but there's still the metaphorical one.”_

“ _Holy fuck, Gavin, did you seriously waste ink on that? I can't believe I sleep next to you almost every night. I mean, shit, if that's the best you can come up with – can you just imagine how much longer we'd have to drag this out if Griffon's medicine didn't boggle your mind? We'd be right back to where we were almost ten chapters ago with you flying out of nowhere to visit me.”_

“ _No we wouldn't.”_

“ _Yeah, we would, and then this bullshit would be ten times more awkward than it already is.”_

“ _But that's like saying you're as block headed as I am.”_

“ _Oh... well, it's a good thing the amount of stupidity never reached that level.”_

\--

The markets of Ad Astra were just as confusing as the rest of the town. The narrow streets lined with shops and stalls were crowded and had led him in several circles already, and Michael wasn’t far from just stopping, turning around, and going back to the hospital.

The irony of the situation was that he was once again acting as a “delivery monkey,” as Geoff put it, but without the rocks. In his pocket was a handful of quid given to him by Griffon, in his hands were a messy map and a collection of string and pieces of different metals, and in his mind was the resolve to smack Gavin when he got back.

Despite having the energy to stay awake and talk for periods of time, Griffon wouldn't let Gavin get out of bed. They argued about it, but Griffon ended it quickly, and then left Michael the task of making sure Gavin didn't do any more walking than what it took to relieve himself. It ended up being a difficult job, because Gavin became determined to annoy the hell out of Michael while he was awake.

And now Michael was here on the request of Gavin, whose feathers were “falling off with boredom”. He agreed to come to the markets because he knew that if Gavin had something to do with his hands, then he'd focus on something other than repeating Michael's name over and over again in ridiculous voices, making high pitched bird noises, or complaining that his wings hurt because he couldn't lay on his front. 

Although, there was also the possibility that he'd been guilt-tripped into it, because as soon as Michael said no the first time he was asked to do this, Gavin had sat back and made a pitiful attempt to preen. Michael had seen him preening multiple times during their journey, but that had been when his wings were still two strokes from perfect. It was between going to the market, and watching Gavin try to rearrange his feathers to cover the bare spots – while even more feathers came loose – and Michael had chosen to ask Griffon for money and venture out (especially after being confronted with the very disheartening expression on Gavin's face while one of his lost feathers drifted to the floor).

The only upside to the situation was that all the Alati he bought things from kept giving him deals on the materials he bought, and children tagged along after him – because goddamn, how often do you meet a person who's killed a dragon? They stared up at him with large eyes and tried to talk to him, but most of their words were either sloppy, or put together in the wrong order. Michael didn't mind having to correct them, and when he decided he'd had enough of trying to navigate the markets, the white-winged children were glad to lead him back to less confusing territory.

Gavin was awake when Michael returned, and he'd managed to keep himself in bed. He was picking absentmindedly at his wings, which flopped off the bed at weird angles, but stopped immediately when Michael entered and dumped the materials into his lap.

“Did you get everything?” Gavin asked, sifting through it. Michael shook his head as he sat down on the stool, tired and hot.

“No,” he said, wiping sweat from his forehead. “That place was a maze, even though I amassed a following of little kids while I was out.” Gavin snorted and started separating the pieces. “What are you going to do with all that?”

Gavin shrugged and replied very quietly. “Er... I don't know... why?”

“Because it's hot as fuck out there and that was Griffon's money I just spent,” Michael said. He'd been out there for a couple hours and the sixteen circles he'd walked in were not something he wanted to go through again. “I got good deals for the whole hero thing, but still... What are you making?”

“I don't know,” Gavin repeated quickly. “It's a surprise! Take a – have a nap or something.”

Michael leaned back, frowning lightly. It had only taken a few seconds for Gavin’s attitude to turn around completely, which was, to say the least, very unusual. “Are you telling me to get out?”

“You can come back when I finish it, I won't get out of bed or anything,” Gavin replied. Michael stayed on his stool for a few seconds, but all Gavin did was huddle all his materials around him so that he could reach them without having to sit up all the way. He didn't speak, either, opting to make a pointed glance at the door instead. Well then.

“Okay,” Michael said, holding his hands up and standing up slowly, wondering what caused the sudden mood change. He'd seen Gavin work in Ad Lucem for a couple moments, what was the problem now? “I'll, uh... leave you to it.”

Gavin only started moving again when Michael was opening the door; he gathered up the string and appeared to be measuring them out. Michael shut the door quietly.

“That was weird,” he said when he found Geoff and Jack sorting out their inventory a few minutes later. Caleb and Ryan had wandered off as Michael was at the markets. No dragon burns were keeping them from exploring, apparently.

“What was weird?” Geoff asked as he wiped down a blade and set it on the table in front of him. Jack checked something off the list in his hand.

“Gavin just kicked me out,” Michael answered. “I brought him his shit, and then he wouldn't do anything with it until I left.”

“Maybe he doesn't like it when people watch him work,” Jack offered.

“I saw him making something in Ad Lucem,” Michael told him. “Don't know what the difference now is.”

“Might be looking for any excuse for people to not see his feathers,” Geoff said. He moved his chair over to reach another of his bags and started pulling out what was left of their food. “Feathers are important, right?”

Michael shrugged. It was plausible, since Gavin had complained about the state of his feathers as well, getting embarrassed if Michael even looked at them for too long. The feathers that were either burned or broken were steadily disappearing, though, and Gavin had no problem earlier with preening while Michael was right beside him.

Alati, he thought. They look human, but goddamn...

“Take a walk or something,” Geoff said, breaking him out of his thoughts. “Come back, see what he's up to.”

“I've had enough walking,” Michael sighed. Geoff laughed at him.

“Okay, your other choices are to go to sleep, or taste test this bread for me,” Geoff held up a fist sized chunk of bread that he'd just unwrapped. “I can't tell if it's bad or not. Smells kind of funny, though.”

Michael gave the bread a disdainful glance. He wasn't in the mood to take the chance of getting sick, or sleeping, because that was almost all he'd been doing since they got here. “I think I'll take a walk,” he said dryly. Jack and Geoff both chuckled.

“Well, if you find Caleb and Ryan anywhere, tell them I have a job for them,” Geoff said, setting the bread aside. Michael nodded, cracking a smile as he left the room again. Only Geoff, he thought as he left the room. There has to be something to do in a place like this; if Gavin doesn’t want him in the room, fine, he’ll just go find somewhere else. He crossed the foyer and was about to leave the building again when he heard wing beats, and something dropped into the room from the gap in the ceiling – or someone.

“Aren’t you supposed to be watching Gavin?” Ray asked. He and Griffon had been in and out of the building since they saw the Chief, and even though they never said what it was they were discussing, Michael had the feeling it had something to do with the celebration the Chief mentioned.

“He kicked me out,” Michael told him. He was actually starting to feel disappointed – was Gavin just tired of hearing him talk?

“Really?” Ray looked surprised. “What for?”

“Hell if I know. I went to the market, brought him some stuff, and then he wanted me to leave. Maybe he was mad that I didn’t get everything on his fucking list, I don’t know. So I left.”

Ray simply stared at him for a few seconds, and then smiled. “Okay,” he said, sounding like he was on the edge of laughter as he glanced down the hall behind him. “I don’t think he’s mad at you; some people just don’t like it if others can see how they start shit. Maybe he’s got some secret crafting technique he doesn’t want you to see.”

Michael shrugged. That was plausible, too, he supposed.

“Do you have any money left?” Ray asked suddenly.

“I’m not going to go try and find the rest of what he wanted,” Michael said immediately. The Alati had weird names for their metals – what the fuck was “ _argentum_ ”? – and the fact that Michael couldn’t read any signs in the town didn’t make anything easier. “I didn’t even know what half that shit was.”

Ray laughed that time. “I didn’t say that. There's another division of the market close to the river, and there's a guy down there that makes a mean pastry; if you want to kill time you can check that out. I just came by to make sure nobody keeled over or anything. Griffon will probably be back before dinner, so don’t break any limbs while you’re out – and don’t bring cake back!”

Michael was about to ask why he shouldn't bring cake back, but Ray was already pushing him out the door, telling him to “just follow the blue cobblestones, not the red ones,” before closing the door with a cheery wave, leaving Michael alone outside. Michael blinked at the wall for a few seconds, trying to find an answer to the only thought in his head: 

What the fuck just happened?

_)_

“ _You know, I don't think a day has gone by where you don't laugh at me for this.”_

“ _It's hilarious; Ray saw it all before you –_ Geoff _saw it all before everyone else! I'll never get over that.”_

“ _Yeah, what a couple of block heads we are. You only got your ass in gear because you didn't have the mental capacity to think that it would be a bad idea – not that it was – and Ray kept telling me to go get biscuits and fish. Fucker probably knew I'd find some shit to bring back, and it worked every goddamn time.”_

“ _I can't believe that either – you brought back the_ dumbest _things. I am amazed that none of your human cities have those things.”_

“ _Are you telling me you didn't like what I gave you?”_

“ _No – actually, I think I still have some of it kicking around. What about you?”_

“ _Gavin, I am wearing that bracelet as we write this.”_

“ _Oh.”_

“ _You block head.”_

_)_

Gavin was asleep again when he finally got back. It looked like he'd dropped off when he was only part way through whatever he was making; bits of string and metals and beads were littered over his blanket and something was held loosely in his fingers. Michael walked across the room carefully, and a few nudges on Gavin's shoulder was enough to wake him up, albeit very slowly.

He rubbed his eyes and mumbled something in the first language, and didn't realize Michael was the one who'd woken him up until he actually opened his eyes. At that point, surprise seemed to get him the rest of the way.

“Oh – Michael! When did you get back?” Gavin's words slurred a little as he quickly gathered everything up into one messy pile on his lap, with the exception of his trinket, which was apparently just a string of beads. Seeing it kind of annoyed Michael – he got kicked out so Gavin could string some beads together? What was the point of that?

“Just now,” Michael told him, standing back just in case Gavin was still in an odd mood, though he looked more flustered than anything. “Did you seriously fall asleep before you even finished that thing?”

“What? No, it's uh...” Gavin grabbed the trinket he'd made, and he seemed to be making an attempt to hide whatever he was doing with it from Michael, but Michael could still see perfectly well – he was tying the two ends of the string together. “I finished it,” he said as he tested the knot of the bracelet. He went quiet, holding the bracelet tightly in his fingers, and he didn't say anything else until Michael spoke.

“So, is this what you're going to do until Griffon deems you good to walk? Make jewellery?”

“No...” Gavin said slowly. He pursed his lips, and Michael waited for him to continue, wondering what was making him nervous. Maybe it was the medicine turning his face red. A second later, Gavin finally turned to him and held the bracelet up, said three short words in his mother tongue (which Michael had no hopes of understanding, even if he did know the language, because Gavin was speaking way too fast), and then said, “It's for you.”

Oh. Michael blinked, looking at the bracelet. That made it a little less annoying, he supposed. “That's why you kicked me out, then, huh?”

Gavin nodded once, and kept his mouth shut as Michael took a seat on the stool again and took the bracelet. There wasn't any discernible pattern to the beads, but he could see almost every material that he'd gone out to the market to buy on it. It reflected light against his skin in different colours, and made little jingling sounds when the beads clicked together.

Maybe it was Gavin's way of saying, “thanks for sitting there all day,” or even better, “sorry for being an annoying ass hole all day.” That reminded him of something.

“I found this in the market after you kicked me out,” Michael said, drawing a bundle of felt out of his pocket. Tucked safely under the folds was something that had caught his eye from two stalls over while he was trying an odd looking yellow fruit (which he didn't remember the name of); it was what appeared to be a small vial that had been permanently sealed shut to keep a light red, viscous liquid inside. The woman who'd sold it to him called it cherry sap, and it was essentially sap dyed with berry juice from what Michael could tell. It was decorated with delicate strands of green metal and hanged on a loop of twine from Michael's fingers, and Gavin simply stared at it for a few seconds, apparently surprised. They must not have had these in Ad Lucem.

“Is that cherry sap?”

“Yeah, and this vial is really cool, so don't go breaking it to drink the sap.”

“I know you're not supposed to drink it!” Gavin exclaimed, lifting his hand. Michael let the vial drop into his palm, and for a moment Gavin's eyes moved from the vial, to Michael, to the bracelet, and then back again. Then he began smoothing out every feather he could reach, this time with a silly grin across his face.

“What are you preening for?”

Gavin just smiled at him. “Nothing, just – thanks, Michael.”

He kept smiling and admiring the cherry sap like it was some priceless jewel instead of a fancy vial filled with dyed sap, and the sight was so ridiculous that Michael had to smile, too.

_)_

Just as Ray said, Griffon came back to the hospital at the same time as Ryan and Caleb, who seemed to have returned solely to eat. 

“There's going to be a festival,” she told them after she finished Gavin's routine bandage replacement (which he'd moaned about, mostly because the balm that prevented infection stung).

“When?” Michael asked, eating one of the pastries he'd bought on the way back – and damn, Ray was right, they were fucking tasty.

Griffon gave a small shrug. “When the Guardians return, and the forest is safer. They'll be happy to have something to celebrate, although it might take a while before Ad Astra's Guardians return.”

“Maybe Gavin will be out of bed by then,” Michael joked. Gavin pouted again. He opened his mouth to say something, but Michael cut him off. “Don't start complaining. I could be eating these things right in front of you, but I'm not. You don't get to complain while you're eating my pastries.”

That was apparently enough to shut Gavin up, and instead of speaking he started staring at his cherry sap again.

“Where'd that come from?” Griffon asked, following Gavin's eyes to the vial on the stand next to the bed, where the pile of twine, metal and beads also lied.

“Michael,” Gavin said. Michael could have sworn he heard a hint of smugness. Griffon turned to Michael, and then caught the bracelet now tied around his wrist. Her eyebrows went up for a split second before she smiled.

“Oh, how cute is that?” She said, stepping away from the bed. “Well, I'll go check on everyone else now. Make sure he drinks the rest of that syrup before you guys go to sleep, okay, Michael?”

“Got it,” Michael nodded and she looked at Gavin.

“Keep your feathers clean,” she told him before walking out. When Michael turned back to the bed, Gavin's cheeks had gone pink again and he wouldn't look away from the tart in his hands, which meant Griffon was tossing out weird innuendos about feathers, if Michael's hunch was to be believed.

Or she could have been referring to the sticky residue from the pastry getting on Gavin's growing feathers, but Michael was pretty sure it was the former, and he couldn't help but notice the heat in his face as well (fucking sunburn, he thought).

_)_

As time went on, Michael had the feeling that if he knew how to handle a wound as serious as Gavin's properly, then Griffon would have left the entire job of watching Gavin to him. But as it were, Michael did not know how to deal with wounds larger than his own, so Griffon was still in and out to check Gavin's bandages. Between those times, though, Michael thought he was spending more time with Gavin than all the weeks before combined.

And he realized after a couple days that he didn't mind, even when Gavin kept asking him to go to the market for twine (or sometimes another specific wire), some kind of stone or metal (Gavin had laughed all day when he had to tell Michael that _argentum_ was silver; how the fuck was he supposed to know that?), or maybe another one of those pastries. Other Alati got used to seeing him around the town, and Ray apparently had no problem whatsoever with lending Michael quid. He'd just grin and say, “gotta help a friend out, right?”

True to his word, Gavin did actually make things other than jewellery. He stopped complaining as much, which would have amazed Michael if he didn't already know that every time he left the building Gavin was starting another knickknack. When Michael got back, he’d watch Gavin finish off pointless little things out of whatever Michael had brought him. Every time he'd look it over and then hold it up for Michael to take, and Michael would take it and then come back with something he'd found earlier.

It became a back and forth thing between them – what else was Michael supposed to do with the things he found in the market? Gavin smiled every time Michel gave him something in return, and he did end up spending a long time in front of one stall or another, trying to decide what would get a better reaction. He couldn't help it; Gavin's happiness was infectious (and he was confined to the hospital, after all; the least Michael could do was make it easier).

A week went by, and then another, and even though Griffon had given him permission to get out of bed, Gavin didn’t leave the hospital. Michael suspected that it was because of his wings; they were healing well and new feathers were growing, but he'd be lying if he said the new feathers didn't look a little odd between those that hadn't needed to be plucked. He found himself looking forward to when Gavin's wings were back to their original condition, just like when they'd met....

So, they kept working in their back and forth cycle for two weeks, and nothing seemed to change until the day they'd woken up to the news that two Guardians had returned with news from the forest.

“Do you think they have messages? If it's only two of them, they'd have brought messages from everyone else, probably.” Gavin said as soon as he found out, and Michael immediately knew what he was talking about. The forest had been in an awful state when they left more than a month ago, and they hadn't heard much from it since. There was no telling how many other Guardians had lost their lives, and as soon as Michael caught Gavin's expression turning worrisome, his chest tightened. 

“He's fine,” he told Gavin firmly. Gavin didn't look entirely convinced. “Come on, if Dan could survive in front of the barricade as long as he did before we left, I think he has what it takes to stay alive until you get back.”

“Think so?”

“Well, think about all this,” as he spoke, Michael reached over and patted Gavin's feathers, and his entire wing twitched. He moved his hand quickly to Gavin's arm. “You're still alive, and you had big odds against you, too.”

Gavin lips slowly turned up, and he nodded. “I know. And Dan's an actual Guardian, too.”

“Exactly. Don't go jumping to the worst conclusions, you'll just work yourself up like that.”

“I'm not getting worked up,” Gavin said. He grabbed Michael hand, and for a half a second Michael thought he was being pushed away, but the Gavin tugged him closer and wrapped his arms around him and said into his ear, “Thanks, Michael.”

Returning the hug was awkward, what with Gavin's wings in the way, but Michael managed to hold him around the shoulders. “No problem.” He liked seeing Gavin when he was happy. Instead of saying that, though, he said, “You look stupid when you're sad.”

Gavin chuckled against his shoulder. “I’m not sad.”

“You were sad.”

“I was not.” Gavin tried to push Michael away, but he held on.

“Don’t be sad, all right?”

“What?”

“I said don’t be sad. Shit’s going to be fine. We’re going to have a goddamn festival, you’re going to see Dan all fine and dandy, and everything’s going to be cool as fucking ice.”

Gavin laughed at that and stopped trying to get out of Michael’s arms. “Let me sit up,” he said, and Michael finally let go so that Gavin could move and drop his feet off the side of the bed. “When do you think Griffon will be back?”

“I don’t know; when she’s done, probably.”

“Do you think the rest of the Guardians are coming back soon, too?”

“I don’t know that, either! Why are you asking me questions?”

“Because I want to see a festival,” Gavin replied simply, watching the window. “Festivals are good for… stuff, you know? I’ve been okay, but it’s been months since anybody’s had something to be happy about.”

Michael thought back to the Achievement Hunters’ arrival in Ad Lucem weeks ago, the grave markers and the black face paint on the mourners, the Guardians exhausting themselves to protect the barricades and having no choice but to call for help from Vegas. Gavin was right; they needed something to be happy about. He sat down on the bed next to Gavin, and instead of trying to hug him again, he settled for gently patting Gavin's back.

“It'll all be done for good when the beasts are out of the forest,” he said. He felt the muscles in Gavin's back shift as his wings moved, green feathers catching the light – and they were _all_ green again, Michael thought; the ash was gone from his wings and so were the ruined feathers. None of them were stained pink, and they were long enough to dip off the other side of the bed. He grazed his fingers over the arch of Gavin's wing, and the feathers felt incredibly smooth – but only for the split second before Gavin's wing jerked down, away from his hand. “Shit, sorry –”

“It's fine,” Gavin said quickly. He stopped Michael's arm before he could move his hand away. “Seriously, it's fine, I was just – startled, is all. I don't mind if you, um...”

He trailed off, but Michael got the gist of it, and he let his hand slide over Gavin's feathers again. They were smooth and as Gavin relaxed he could feel his wings get softer, and Michael got the distinct feeling that this wasn't something that Gavin would ever let him do in a public place.

“How long does it take?” Michael asked, keeping his hand away from a patch of new feathers. “For new ones to grow, I mean.”

“It's not all fun and games,” Gavin replied quietly. His eyes were closing slowly. “Growing feathers is tiring. They should be okay in another week or so, though.”

“Huh... I can't wait.”

“What?” Gavin's wing stiffened slightly.

“I said I can't wait,” Michael said, moving his fingers back and forth. “Your wings are...” Gorgeous. “I like your wings.”

Gavin stared at him for a few seconds, and then looked away again, his lips pressed tightly together as if he was holding a grin back. A tremor went through his wings, the feathers vibrating under Michael's fingers, but it only lasted a couple seconds.

“What are you all nervous about?” Michael asked, wondering if he should stop touching Gavin's wing.

Gavin opened his mouth, but he only had time to take a breath before somebody else broke the silence as they opened the door.

“Hey, there's a l – oh,” Ray stopped half way through the door, his hand still on the handle, and he was already pulling it shut again, his eyes flicking between their faces and Michael's hand on Gavin's wing, which had gone stiff as iron. “Oops, sorry, didn't mean to walk in on you there – I'll just... wait with the others...”

Michael frowned as Ray closed the door. He turned to Gavin, who was already relaxing again. “Uh, what was that about?”

“Maybe he has some news,” Gavin said quietly. “But he wanted to give us privacy.”

Well, that confirmed Michael's earlier hunch. “Hey, Gavin?”

“Hm?”

“Is there something you want to be telling me right about now?”

Gavin was silent for a moment, and his reply came very slowly. “I'm just... happy. I hope Ray brought some good news.”

It wasn't what Michael was hoping for, and in the back of his mind he felt a prickle of annoyance. Spit it out, he wanted to say, but Gavin was already moving away, standing up as Michael's hand fell to the bed. 

“Let's go see what he wanted,” Gavin said, making his way to the door. Michael watched him for a few seconds, and then stood up as well, sighing under his breath.

_)_

Ray hadn't gone far. He shuffled around in the foyer, holding a slightly wrinkled envelope in his hands, and came to a stop when they entered the room. 

“Is it just you here?” Gavin asked, looking around the otherwise empty room. 

“Yeah,” Ray nodded. “I thought I'd come back and tell you guys what's going on. The Guardians from Ad Astra are getting ready to come back now since Ad Lucem seems to have a handle on the forest. The two this morning were the first, and they didn't just bring messages for the Chief.” He held the envelope out for Gavin. “Looks like Dan the Man's still kicking.”

Gavin took the letter and only hesitated to read the scrawl on its front before ripping it open and shaking the letter out. Michael watched him read it through; try as he might, there was no way he could tell what it said at all. Gavin looked it over a second time, and then released the breath he'd apparently been holding since he heard the words “the Guardians are back.”

“What's it say?” Michael asked.

“He heard about the – the dragon thing,” Gavin replied in a small voice. “And he'll be... Hold on, wait here.” He turned and went back down the hall to his room, might have even ran if not for his injury, and left Ray and Michael in the foyer.

“The letter was good news, right?” Michael asked after Gavin disappeared.

“As far as I know,” Ray shrugged. “Maybe he just wants a minute alone. Sorry about earlier, too, by the way.”

“It's fine,” Michael shook his head. “You don't have to apologize for that.”

Ray didn't say anything else for a moment. He blinked a few times, and then he stared at Michael as if he'd changed into a completely different person. “Holy shit.”

Michael frowned. “What?”

“You have no idea what you're doing, do you?”

“What are you talking about?”

That was apparently all the answer Ray needed; he turned around and looked at the ceiling, and when he faced Michael again his expression hadn't changed. “I can't tell if it's you or Gavin being the idiot here – or maybe it's both of you – but I'll lay it out simple for you, and if he's doing what I think he's trying to do, you can get Gavin to fill in the rest. You don't run around pettingsomebody's wings because they feel nice or anything-”

“You let Courtney touch your wings,” Michael pointed out.

“That's because Courtney is my – what is your word for this – she's my _girlfriend_ , humans would say,” Ray said quickly. “She can give me a pat on the feathers whenever she wants! But that's all that was – a pat on the wing, it's like giving your friend a pat on the back. What you were doing with Gavin, though – completely different circumstances. For Gavin to let someone else touch his wings like that – it takes trust, a lot of it, and it's generally _not_ something you do in the company of others. Are you following me on this?”

He watched Michael for a reaction, and Michael was quiet while his brain put everything together with what Ray said. He opened his mouth and then promptly closed it again. He thought back to only moments ago, before Ray walked in on them, remembered the expression on Gavin's face. And then the things Griffon said to make him blush. Goddamn it, he thought.

“I'm going to have to get back to you,” He said to Ray, starting to follow after Gavin. “I have to go talk to Gavin.”

“Yeah,” Ray nodded. “You do that.”

_)_

“I said I'd be right back,” Gavin said as Michael entered the room. “Did Ray already leave?”

“Might have,” Michael said as he closed the door.

“Might?”

“Yeah, that's what I said. What are you doing in here?”

Gavin glanced at the table next to his bed. The letter was shoved under everything else on it. “Just putting it away... What are you looking at me like that for?”

Some of Michael's annoyance must have sneaked into his expression without him realizing. He didn't try to change it. “Ray told me something just after you left.”

“Told you what?” Gavin looked slightly confused.

“Well, first off, was I seriously just groping your wing ten minutes ago?”

Even Gavin's wings went still, and his face was completely white for a split second before his cheeks flushed red. He shifted from one foot to the other nervously. “Oh – what did he tell you?”

“He threw the basics at me,” Michael answered. Ray told him what being able to touch his feathers meant, related it to him and Courtney, who was more than just his friend. “Do you want to fill in the rest or do I have to go back to Ray and get him to translate?”

He wanted to hear it from Gavin's lips, even though he's pretty sure he could predict half of what Gavin was about to say. He wanted to know for sure, because he knew nothing built on an assumption can ever last – and for all that they've known each other for less than a year... Michael didn't want everything to fall apart, not after everything that they've done.

The silence felt a lot longer than only a couple minutes, and when Gavin finally spoke he looked anywhere but at Michael.

“I told you I wanted to come with you, and the Chief let me come with you here, because – because you saved my life and I had a debt to repay,” he started quietly. “But I didn't... I stopped caring about the debt before that, I didn't want to travel with you because of it and I didn't jump in front of a _dragon_ because of it. I – Michael, I...”

His feathers were trembling again, and finding words had apparently become impossible. After a couple more false starts, Gavin made a sound similar to an animal being strangled, and before Michael could tell him to just _say it, goddamn it_ , he took two steps forward, pulled Michael toward him by his collar and kissed him, and didn't let go until he was out of breath.

“You're one of the first humans I've ever met,” Gavin told him between shaky breaths. “ _And I am in love with you_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite appearances, this was pretty difficult for me to write, and I finally just chucked my last fuck to the wind for this chapter, and now I'm setting it loose. I'm sorry.


	14. We Walk in the Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it, Gavin. This is the end of our story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just....... I'm tired. That's all. Romance is hard for me, and there isn't even that much. My excuse is that it's Gavin writing these scenes and Michael writing the earlier action scenes.  
> But on another note, this is the first time I've finished a multi-chapter fic in a very, very long time, isn't that awesome? I'm so proud of myself.  
> Thanks to everyone who commented and left kudos, because getting a response from you guys is really the only reason I didn't drop off the map completely.

 “ _So, let me get this straight...”_

“ _You didn't know we were courting because you were distracted by the courting?”_

“ _You little shit. That's not what I meant.”_

“ _That's what it looks like from over here.”_

“ _We're sitting right fucking next to each other. And don't get me started on 'what it looks like,' you dumb ass. You weren't even thinking straight when you started this, remember our block head conversation?”_

“ _Was that yesterday now or yesterday in the story?”_

“ _It was yesterday – no, in – what? Just – shut the fuck up, Gavin. We are way to close to the end to deal with this bullshit. In fact, we are right on top of the end. These pages before us are the last we write.”_

“ _We're so close, Michael. I think people will be happy with it.”_

“ _If you would stop fucking around, yeah, they won't be able to contain their joy. Let's get this started.”_

_)_

“Michael?” The expression on Gavin's face was a mix of anxiety and concern. He might have wanted to leave the room to escape his own embarrassment, but Michael still hadn't spoken. “Please – um – say something?”

Hold on, Michael wanted to say, though his lips didn't move. He could still feel them tingling, could still feel Gavin's breath against his lips, even though Gavin was slowly backing away from him. _I can help you,_ Gavin had said as they left Austin. _I still really want to help you._ His focus had always been on Michael.

“How long?” Michael finally asked.

Gavin blinked a couple times. “How long until what _?”_

“No, how long have you wanted to do that?” One month? Two months? How long have they been travelling together? _I didn't jump in front of a_ dragon _because of it,_ he'd said. _I didn't want to travel with you because of it_... How long has Gavin wanted to kiss him?

Gavin was looking at everything except Michael again, his eyes moving from the the floor, to his hands, his wings, his feet. “I – er – does it really matter?”

“A bit, yeah,” Michael ran hand through his hair. “It's been – fuck, _months_ , and that whole time I thought...”

“You thought I was only there for the debt?” Gavin sounded hurt again.

“No,” Michael said hastily. “We went over that. I didn't challenge your goddamn chief for a debt, Gavin. You deserved that chance, I told you that, remember?”

He tried to say more; he had a lot to say to Gavin. The reason he insisted having Gavin with them, the reason he _regretted_ that decision – the fear that almost made his heart stop, because the only reason Gavin was even _alive_ was because there just happened to be an elixir at the Gate of Roses.

But Gavin was standing right in front of him and he didn't know what to say.

“Are you mad at me?” Gavin asked softly. Michael met his eyes, and he could see Gavin's wings drawing closer together, folding tighter. He was scared to hear the answer, and as Michael realized that, he shook his head.

“I'm not mad, I'm just... Why didn't you say something?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean – why didn't you just _tell_ me before?”

“Because I thought you already knew!” Gavin answered, his voice rising. “I thought, since you brought the cherry sap back, and then everything else, that you were already...” He trailed off, making a round hand motion between them.

“Well, thanks for making sure we were both on the same page, Gavin,” Michael said.

“Then why did you do it?”

Michael didn't reply immediately. He watched Gavin as he struggled to keep a straight expression, and then glanced at the trinkets spread over the table, the letter safe underneath it all. Gavin treasured those things, didn't even like it when somebody else picked them up. Michael brought them back for him, and as he thought about the way Gavin responded every time he pulled something out of his pocket – a split second of surprise, and then the smile that Michael was waiting for – he thought it was pretty obvious why he'd brought them back.

Even though he hadn't realized it at the time. Or maybe he had, but didn't make the connection like Gavin did. Or maybe he _did_ make the connection, and –

You're over thinking this, Michael told himself. He took a breath and said, “Because you've been sitting in here making things like this,” he ran his fingers along the bracelet around his wrist. “And I thought it'd be good if you got something back, you know? I like you better when you're smiling.”

Gavin nodded slowly. His cheeks were turning pink again, but Michael could see a smile tugging at his lips. “So, you... don't hate me or anything?”

Michael frowned slightly. “What? How the hell did you get there? I don't – can't – hate you, Gavin. Hey, look at me.”

Gavin had looked away, apparently ashamed of having thought of that, and Michael brought him back with a hand on his jaw.

“You know how much has happened since I met you?” Michael asked. It almost felt strange to recall that memory of the forest, and the few seconds of shock after seeing Gavin for the first time before they had to fight off beasts together. “I didn't even know people like you _existed_ until I made the dumb shit move of going through the forest, and I met you because I through a goddamn rock at your head. And look where we are now, Gavin. You risked getting burned to nothing by a dragon without even thinking and I... You don't even have any idea how scared I was that you were going to die. You just – I can't hate you and still be so glad that you're still okay.”

He leaned down and rested his head against Gavin's shoulder; Gavin stiffened for half a second and then relaxed, and Michael could hear the whispering sound of his feathers as his wings unfolded again.

“I'm glad, too,” Gavin said quietly. “Because I never took the chance before, and we could have all gotten killed.”

We could all be charred bones on the side of the road, Michael said to himself, thinking about the bandages wrapped around the healing wounds on Gavin's torso. What a pitiful way to end their story that would have been. Michael found himself smiling as he brought his head up.

“You're such an idiot,” he said, reaching up to cup Gavin's cheek in his hands. Gavin's smile widened, and he might have replied, but Michael was already moving forward and kissing him again. It wasn't hard and full anxiety – Gavin wasn't scared this time, and Michael felt feathers brushing his arms as Gavin leaned into it, wings coming around to surround them both for a brief moment.

“I'm sorry – for not saying anything before,” Gavin breathed as he pulled away. Michael stopped him from leaning back, fingers carding through his hair.

“Then you better be fucking grateful for Ray walking in,” Michael said. “Not that I want that to happen again.”

Gavin gave him a sheepish look, and then his face was buried in Michael's shoulder in what might have been an attempt at a full body hug. His arms were wrapped tightly around Michael's chest, hands pressed into his shoulder blades. If he had wings, Michael thought, Gavin would probably be touching them.

He moved his hands from Gavin's hair to return the embrace, and when his fingers found soft down, Gavin's wings twitched. He didn't pull away from Michael, though; his grip only tightened, and he made a noise that sounded strange but happy at the same time.

And despite the fact that Ray was right and they were both idiots, Michael would have been completely fine if that moment had gone on forever.

_)_

“ _I think that what if is always going to be hanging over my head.”_

“ _What do you mean?”_

“ _What if we didn't manage to kill that dragon? I mean, what if we never got to this point?”_

“ _That's... kind of scary. It's a good thing there isn't any unfinished business anymore.”_

“ _If there was unfinished business, it would have been your fault.”_

“ _But if you felt the same way, then just as much would be on you.”_

“ _Well... then let's just be glad that we are where we are and leave it at that.”_

“ _So, we can tell the end of the story now?”_

“ _That's what we've all been waiting for, yeah. They say this is the hardest part.”_

“ _Maybe not. I haven't had that much trouble yet.”_

“ _Right... I can't fucking believe I'm letting you write all these scenes...”_

_)_

It was another four days before the rest of Ad Astra's Guardians began to return, coming back in twos and threes as they herded the beasts back to their original homes. The Guardians of Ad Lucem had control over the forest again, and the only thing left was the clean up the mess left behind. According to Griffon, the men from Vegas were also heading north again.

However, the Achievement Hunters were still waiting in Ad Astra. They'd been away from Austin for more than two months now, almost three, but there was still business for them in the Alati town. Not only was Gavin pestering them to stay for the festival - “Really, when's the last time you all had a good party? And if the Alati are holding a festival, you can't just skip out on it!” - but Griffon had also asked that they stayed at least until the Chief of Ad Lucem arrived, and just like every other time he thought of being in her presence, Michael felt his shoulders tense. But she was arriving not only for the festival, but also to give the mercenaries their payment. They couldn't go back to Austin without it, and luckily, it was only three days after Griffon had given them that news that the last of the Guardians returned – and then after them came the people of Ad Lucem.

“They won't all come,” Gavin told Michael when he noticed that the streets were starting to get more crowded. “Somebody has to be keeping watch on the forest, but we do love a good celebration.”

He sat on the bed next to Michael, grooming his wings. Another week was gone, and when Michael watched the feathers move in the light, they looked just as they did before they battled the dragon. Gavin was obviously happy about it and was not afraid to show it off, because every time he was in the same room as Michael he was bound to start preening.

He wasn't doing it for long this time before there was a knock at the door, and Griffon leaned in.

“Are you going to leave this room now, Gavin?” She asked, nodding at his wings. “I think it'd be best if you do, just so that the Chief knows you're still alive.”

“Is she here?” Gavin asked, promptly folding his wings.

Griffon nodded. “According to Ray, she's at the meeting hall now, and we're all going to see her.”

Michael and Gavin exchanged quick glances, and then Michael gave her a thumbs up. “Let's get going then, and I'll show her that I didn't let Gavvy Wavvy here get burned to a crisp.”

Griffon smirked as she withdrew from the room. “Come on, then. Let's not keep people waiting, because as soon as we're done there, we can start the festival.”

_)_

It was almost odd to see the chiefs of Ad Asta and Ad Lucem in the same room together. While Ad Astra's smiled jovially at them all, his counterpart seemed as stoney as ever, and still managed to make Michael feel slightly on edge. They both stood at the front of the room while the Achievement Hunters, along with Griffon and Ray, took a stool, and the first to speak was the Chief of Ad Lucem.

“I see you're all alive and well despite appearances, even with an encounter with a dragon.”

“You make it sound like they had no hope at all, Phythia,” said Ad Astra's Chief.

“If they had no hope, I would not have agreed to send them, Ferris,” Phythia replied smoothly. She spoke immediately, and something in her tone gave Michael the impression that there was something between them that had yet to be resolved. “And I definitely would not have sent someone who was not even a Guardian.”

Gavin shifted slightly in his seat as she gave him a pointed glance, but then her attention turned to Michael.

“I'm glad I did not overestimate your abilities, Michael,” she told him. “Even though he sustained a heavy injury, Gavin is still sitting before me now. Thank you for that.” She gestured to the rest of the party. “And I thank you as well – we all do; with your help, we were able to avoid more unnecessary bloodshed.”

“I didn't think that we'd be saved by a band of mercenaries – human mercenaries at that,” Ferris added, his tone much lighter. “It's good that Phythia sent someone competent, though. We were able to send help to the forest much quicker because of your actions.”

“Well, it wasn't out intention to actually fight the dragon, our speciality was the usual beast problems that seem to crop up everywhere,” Geoff said. “But I'm glad we were able to deal with it without losing anyone.”

“Then you know first hand why everyone fears dragons, don't you? You hardly look like the ragged band of warriors you did the day you arrived here.”

“We have been here a while now,” Geoff pointed out.

“You have,” Ferris agreed. “You've been away from home long enough, haven't you?”

“In that case, there is still your payment,” Phythia said before Geoff could reply. She waved over one of the Alati standing at the side of the room, and they handed her a heavy looking purse. “We can hardly pay you back in full for what you've done, but here is the amount we agreed on. And as for the weapons from our armoury... you may keep those. They'll last much longer than any blade made simply of iron or steel, I believe.”

She gave the pouch to Geoff, who weighed it in his hands for a couple seconds before resting it in his lap. After he thanked her, she returned to her original spot, and her expression changed, became sharper.

“There is still business that we'd like to discuss with you before you decide to leave,” she said, her voice commanding silence again. “A very important matter, at that. For years we've lived in the forest and these plains, hidden from the human world. Ordinarily, if we ever came into contact with a human, we asked that they take whatever measures necessary to keep our existence a secret. However, things are... changing, now.”

“There is a very small number of humans that are aware of us,” Ferris continued. “Not many by any standards, but there are more now than there have ever been, and we've had to consider some things in light of everything that's happened in the past few months. We lost contact almost completely with Ad Lucem, and couldn't get a clear route through the mountains, and the threat in the forest become strong enough that help from the city – Vegas, was it? - had to be called for. That's entire units of their military that know about us.”

“Are you afraid that somebody's going to talk?” Geoff asked.

To Michael's surprise, Ferris shook his head. “No. That's not so much as a concern as it was. What I mean is... Well, if most humans don't even know the word _Alati_ , then the history has been lost for some time now. But there was a reason that we isolated ourselves from the world. A good one back then. But now?” He shook his head again. “We are starting to think that we are reaching our limit, coming to the point where remaining in isolation is more of a threat to us than a boon.”

The room was quiet again as the words sunk in, as the meaning of them became apparent.

Michael remembered Gavin telling him why Ad Lucem wasn't on a map, remembered him keeping his cloak thrown over his wings at all times in Vegas and Austin. Humans aren't supposed to know about us, he said. And now the Chiefs of the Alati settlements were giving them the idea that all that was about to change.

“Of course, it won't be easy, not by a long shot,” Ad Astra's Chief went on after a moment. “We are the only clans on this continent, but if we want to do anything we still need the council of Ad Meliora in the north, and we especially need the consent of Andromeda, our homeland.”

“It would be best for us to not take action without them,” Phythia explained. “And this has only come up in talks between our villages. For now, we would like you to keep our secret safe until we are prepared to make a decision. And should that time come, we only ask that you be ready for it. Coming out of an isolation such as ours will inevitably cause many difficulties, and if you are able to smooth out such a transition in any way possible, we would be very grateful. It will not happen quickly, but are you still willing to agree?”

Her eyes travelled from one man to the next expectantly, and even her fellow Chief seemed to have taken on a much more serious demeanour as they waited for a response. When their gaze passed over Geoff, he then turned to his companions.

“Well, what do you all say?” He asked Jack and Ryan, and then Michael and Caleb on his other side. “This is something we can do, isn't it?”

“Should be,” Jack said, nodding.

“I'd hope so,” Ryan added. “I have the feeling that parting ways here won't mean losing contact with the Alati, anyway.”

He glanced over at Gavin and Michael, and the rest of them exchanged knowing expressions. Smug bastards, Michael thought. It hadn't taken long for word to travel from Ray to everyone else, and Michael figured that half of them already knew he'd started courting an Alati, especially Geoff. He caught Gavin giving him a smile from the corner of his eye, and when he looked back to the Chief, she seemed to have lingered on him, and her expression was softer than before.

“So, we have an agreement?” She said as the Achievement Hunters gave a nod, one by one. “That's just what we were hoping for.”

“Thank you, again,” Ferris said. “All of you. If we ever need help from the other side of the Gates again, I think I know who we can send for.”

“So long as we're alive at the end of the day,” Geoff shrugged. “Call us for whatever you need.”

“We'll keep that in mind,” Phythia said quietly. “That is all we needed to speak to you about. Now that you have your payment, you are free to go back to your home, although perhaps you'll want to stay until after tonight. As the people who slew the dragon at the Gate of Diamond, you deserve to enjoy the festivities just as much as the rest of us.”

Geoff simply shrugged, a lazy smile spreading over his face as he shared a quick glance with Griffon. “I love a good festival. These guys can run on home if they want, but hey, I'll stick around.”

“I'm not skipping this party,” Caleb retorted, and Geoff started to laugh. Before he knew it, Michael was laughing with them, and he felt Gavin's hand find his as their fingers intertwined.

“Well then, let's not keep everyone waiting,” Ferris said, clapping his hands together. The Alati around the room immediately became more alert. “Let the festival begin!”

_)_

There was light and sound all over the place, and probably more Alati than he'd ever see in his whole life. The sun was long gone for the night, but that meant nothing to the people in the streets; lamps of all different colours were spread over the paths above, and no matter where he turned he could always hear the sound of laughter. Michael thought he'd have been lost three times over if he hadn't been able to see the heads and wings of Gavin and Dan, who were apparently hugging it out in the middle of the plaza.

Dan had landed in the town as the sun was setting, and the first thing he did was lift Gavin off his feet in a bear hug - “Knew you could make it, B!” He said as Gavin's feet swung around uselessly in the air. Then he turned to the rest of them, and while he didn't hug each of them, his face was still very happy.

“You've probably heard this a hundred times by now, but you guys really helped us a lot,” he said to them. “Thanks for keeping him alive – again,” he added to Michael. And then Gavin told him to wait at the plaza before he dragged Dan off somewhere.

Getting to the plaza in question was easy enough, but finding a place to keep out of the way until Gavin got back was another matter, and Michael was relieved when Gavin and Dan finally broke apart. They started moving apart as Gavin scanned the crowd, and Michael waved his hand above his head; Gavin made his way through the throng toward him, and when he got to the corner Michael was waiting in, there was a wide smile on his face.

There was also something on his face, Michael noticed immediately. At some point while he was gone, Gavin had found a light green face paint; it was streaked down his cheeks, and there was a lopsided triangle on his forehead. It gave him a more tribal look, but at the same time his eyes seemed brighter because of it.

“Why are you sitting over here?” Gavin asked, glancing around the little niche. “Aren't you having fun?”

“I've been waiting here for you,” Michael reminded him. “You told me to wait here and that's what I've been doing. Where did you go?”

“To get paint,” Gavin replied. He held up a small jar in his hands and then pointed to his face. “We always have paint for festivals.”

Michael watched him uncork the jar and dip his finger in, stirring the contents inside. It came out covered in light blue paint. “Are you going to draw on me with that?”

“Do you want to do it yourself?” Gavin asked, pausing only for a second before lifting his hand toward Michael's face. “I won't draw something stupid, promise.”

“Can I trust you on that?” Michael asked as Gavin dragged his finger across his left cheek, leaving a cold trail of paint behind.

“Yeah – I only do pictures at the harvest festivals,” Gavin said as he drew a line across Michael's other cheek. “But nobody lets me do their paint anymore.”

“Then don't draw stupid shit on them,” Michael said, chuckling. Gavin didn't reply as he drew paint down the bridge of Michael's nose, and then what felt like a circle in the middle of his forehead.

“There,” he said, stepping back. “Now you look like a real festival goer.”

Michael could already feel the paint drying. He wrinkled his nose and moved his eyebrows, feeling it cool on his skin. “How long do I have to keep it on?”

Gavin rolled his eyes. “Until the festival's done, of course. It'll wash off really easily; you can take it off after... Just remember to wash it off before you leave; it's just for festivals, after all.” He spoke quietly as he put the cork back in the jar, and he glanced at the ground as he asked, “You guys are going right back to Austin after, right?”

Michael nodded, eyes flashing over the plaza for familiar faces. “I think so. We'll have been gone for three months by the time we get back. We'll have to get going quickly if we're going to be able to keep the secret. I think Geoff already has a good excuse for why we've been gone for so long.”

“That's good,” Gavin said. He smiled, but Michael could already see it falling flat.

“Don't give me that look,” he said firmly. Gavin blinked, looking surprised. “Not that one, either. You know what I'm talking about.”

“I'm not doing anything.”

“Bullshit.” For a moment, Michael wondered why Gavin would start courting someone who would be leaving so soon (especially when he wasn't supposed to be seen by other humans), but that wasn't important anymore. It was too late for that. “Don't act like this is the last time you'll see me for the next ten years.”

“What if it is?” Gavin asked, reminding Michael that the Alati weren't just going to walk into the open tomorrow.

“That would be ridiculous,” Michael answered. “I mean – even if it does take ten years, Geoff could always send me on a delivery mission again. And if you managed to keep your dumb ass hidden in Vegas and Austin already, you can do it again, right?”

Gavin's grin returned, and Michael knew what he was going to say even before he started speaking: “If I ordered rocks from Austin, would Geoff send them to me?”

“Yes, he probably would.” Michael knew the Box of Destiny was never going to leave him alone. He sighed and slipped his arms around Gavin's waist, bringing him closer. “I could have told you to leave me alone before,” he said quietly. “But I didn't. I'm going to take this chance with you, because I have the feeling that this is going to work out in the end. Maybe it'll be hard, I don't know, but...”

“We could tell them about our adventure,” Gavin said. He rested his hands on Michael's shoulders, the jar of paint held safely against Michael's neck. “We could make it a story to tell, how you helped us.”

“Do you think people would believe it?”

“I think so,” Gavin nodded. “If they heard it from both of us. _Verba volant_...”

“What?”

“It's a saying we have,” Gavin explained. “Verba volant, scripta manent.”

“I don't know what that means. It sounds like you're talking about violence.”

Gavin laughed at that. “No, that's way off! It just means... we should write things down, just in case we forget. So it'll always be there.”

Michael considered the idea; he thought back to when everything started, when Geoff sent him to Vegas to deliver a box of rocks, and when he got lost in the forest and ended up in Ad Lucem. And we've slain a dragon and found ourselves here, said the voice in his mind. “Do you have a name for this adventure?”

“Hm... We can think of one on the way, can't we?

“I guess. As long as we can write it together, I think we could make it work. I'm not much of a writer, though.”

“Neither am I,” Gavin shrugged. “But it's still a good idea, right? How many people can say they went on that adventure and lived to write it down?”

“Like I said before, there aren't a lot of people as crazy and stupid as we are,” Michael replied.

Gavin chuckled softly and leaned in to kiss him, pressing their bodies together like this really was the last time they'd see each other for ten years. “We'll figure it out,” he murmured, lips brushing Michael's. “We've gotten through everything else. For now, though, we can just enjoy what we have.”

He pulled away a little to meet Michael's gaze, and Michael could see the lamp lights reflecting in his eyes; red, orange and blue mixing with green, making the paint on his cheeks glitter. He felt like they could just stand there watching for the entire night.

“Of course we will; you're my boy, Gavin,” he said. “Let's go celebrate.”

_)_

“ _At the end of the day, the dragon is dead.”_

“ _Which wouldn't be to say that there aren't any more flying about us.”_

“ _But that's not the story we've told you. That's a different one, an unfinished one that we've yet to see the end of.”_

“ _And there might not be any dragons in it, but it's still a tale to be heard, I think. That's what happens when you're part of a mercenary company called the Achievement Hunters.”_

“ _Gavin, you're not an actual member.”_

“ _But Geoff said I could go on missions with you guys! That counts, doesn't it?”_

“ _Not when you've only tagged along on two marks.”_

“ _Caleb's gone a lot, though.”_

“ _That's because Caleb is like our scout, and – fucking_ damn it _, Gavin! This was supposed to be the last page and you wrecked it already!”_

“ _What did I do?”_

“ _You're going on stupid tangents, you can't do that right at the goddamn end of the book – I'm ripping this page out, don't screw up the next one.”_

_^^^^_

“ _I could tell you about going back to Austin, and Gavin returning to the forest with the rest of the Alati, but there's really no sense in beating a dead horse.”_

“ _Why would you beat a dead horse?”_

“ _It's a figure of speech, Gavin. One that these readers will actually recognize. What it means is that the story is over, and there's no sense in stretch it out any longer. We have slain, as you wrote before, both the literal and figurative dragons, and that was the night that we decided that this was a story to be told when everyone was ready to hear it. How we got from then to now is not important.”_

“ _Ah, I see. So, we really are stopping at the end of the day. We travelled, fought against evil and fell in love, and...”_

“ _And... what?”_

“ _I feel like there should be something else there.”_

“ _I don't think there should be. That's it, Gavin. That's our story. We were the unlikely heroes that saved the day; a lot of people lost their lives, but we made sure it didn't continue, and even though we were idiots on the way, we're still sitting here next to each other, writing out the last page.”_

“ _And even if we weren't, I think it'd be a long time before it was ever forgotten.”_

“ _Saying it like that makes it sound like it really will be forgotten after ten years.”_

“ _But it won't be.”_

“ _Sure about that?”_

“ _Yes.”_

“ _Well, there you have it then, everybody. Be prepared for me to ask you in the future, just to make sure you haven't forgotten. Is there anything else you'd like to add, Gavin?”_

“Vale _, everyone. Goodbye. Hopefully this isn't our last adventure.”_

“ _We're a band of mercenaries called the Achievement Hunters. Come on. Maybe they won't be as epic as killing a dragon, but I get the feeling there's going to be more to come sometime. But for now – vale, everyone. Here's to beating the odds.”_

* * *

_Epilogue (a year and some time later)_

_)_

It didn't get cold in these parts unless rain was coming, especially at this time of year. The wind blew harder and the clouds just kept getting darker, and the fact that Michael hadn't thought to throw on a thicker cloak before going out didn't make things better.

He stood outside on a street corner, the edges of his cloak held close so that no heat escaped. The street lamps were steadily being put out as the rain approached, but the corner he stood on was also lit by the shop behind him. It was some place that sold sewing materials, and the only reason Michael was standing outside of it was because the shop across the street was locked while the owner finished working somewhere in the back. He knew if he knocked loud enough the door would be opened, but he'd already bothered the book binder long enough when he was making it clear that the man couldn't read everything on the pages (nobody could read it right now; only when they were ready was Michael ever going to let them read it). He didn't want to push his luck and end up with a shitty job done.

That was the last thing he wanted – the pages that were being given a spine and cover were important, and not just to him.

He wasn't sure how long he waited outside, but he half expected the rain to have come and gone before he ever left. However, the ground was still dry when he heard a door slamming shut, and a man, also cloaked against the wind, came bustling around the front of the shop across the street. He saw Michael standing on the street corner and briefly held up the rectangular package in his hands as he made his way over.

“There's still no title on it,” the book binder said as he handed Michael the book. “Haven't you thought of one yet?”

“I'm going to have someone else have a look at it,” Michael told him, tucking the book safely under his arm. “I'll get something on it after that.”

It was mostly the truth. The book binder didn't stay to ask any further, though. Michael had already paid him (for the job and to stay quiet), and neither of them wanted to stand here until the rain came down. The man just nodded and said good bye before he turned and went up the road, moving quickly to beat the clouds home. Michael shifted the weight of the book and set off in the opposite direction, hoping that it didn't rain – or if it did, he hoped none of the water would get on the pages.

It was starting off slow by the time he got back to the Achievement Hunters' base, droplets that he barely felt landing on his shoulders. Inside, it was warm and well lit, and he didn't have to worry about his cloak getting blown off (although he had to lock the door to prevent the wind blowing it open). Jack and Ryan were still having the same discussion they were before Michael left, and Geoff seemed to be in the process of getting drunk. Caleb wasn't in the room, but Michael could hear him moving things around in another room.

“Did you get it?” Ryan asked when they realized Michael had come in.

“Right here,” Michael shrugged his cloak off, hanging it off the back of a chair as he carefully placed the book on the table. Just as the book binder had said, the cover was empty, but when he opened it to flip through the pages, the book was filled with words, and two different sets of handwriting. They looked a little odd, since Michael had gotten used to seeing all the papers spread across tables, threatened by ink pots being knocked over, or being lost and torn.

“That looks pretty good,” Jack commented as Michael stopped about half way through the book.

“So, whenever Gavin decides to get his ass over here,” Geoff said, pausing to take a drink. “You can finally do something with it. Still can't believe you wrote the whole fucking thing without thinking of a title first.”

The group chuckled and Geoff sat back in his seat as Caleb entered the room.

“I want to see the book!” Caleb announced, leaning over the other end of the table to read a couple sentences upside down. “Man, how long's it been now?”

“Too fucking long,” Michael answered, flipping a few more pages. “That's what happens when you try working together with Gavin on anything.”

There were more chuckles, and then they could all hear the sound of the rain beating down on the roof as it started coming down harder.

“If he's still flying, he'll be soaked when he gets here,” Geoff said, glancing out the window. “That's great; now we have to deal with the smell of wet bird.”

“Only marginally better than the smell of wet dog,” Ryan muttered. As if on cue, they heard loud, quick knocks from the door, and an accented voice calling to them.

“Guys – guys, unlock the door!” Gavin cried, beating on the wood. “It's cold out here, and really wet!” When he didn't get an immediate response, he kept shouting. “Guys, I know you're in there! Come on, it's windy – hi, Michael!”

“Get in here,” Michael said, hastily pulling a very wet Alati through the door and locking it again before too much rain could be swept in by the strong wind. Gavin's cloak was almost completely soaked, and so was his hair and some of his clothes when he got the thing off. His feathers weren't in any better condition – the water made them look as though they were a different colour entirely. Gavin smiled at the mercenaries gathered around the table, and instead of finding himself a seat, he spread his wings out behind him. “Hey, don't just – fucking hell, Gavin.”

Before Michael could stop him, Gavin had given his wings a good shake, successfully spreading water droplets all around him.

“Don't do that, you're going to get water all over the ink!” Michael exclaimed. Gavin just gave him a sheepish grin and approached the table, wings folded behind him. “I'll kill you if you get water on this thing – I am not going through that bullshit again.”

“What's wrong with it?” Gavin asked as he inspected the pages.

“Nothing's wrong with it,” Michael sighed. “I'm just saying, if I have deal with your shitty definition of foreshadowing for one more day, I'm going to shoot you through with a crossbow myself.”

“Michael, you wouldn't!”

“Yeah, I would,” Michael said dryly, picking up their book and closing it. “But while we're on the subject – we need a title for this. Something to smack on the front.”

Gavin looked at the book in Michael's hand as if it held some kind of secret. It didn't, though, because everything that was inside was either written by Gavin, or written by Michael while Gavin watched. “You don't have any ideas?”

Michael shrugged. “Thought I'd run it by you, see if you had one. Hell, I'll call it _The Adventures of Mogar_ if you have nothing.”

“We can't call it that,” Gavin said, laughing.

“Why not? Mogar's cool.”

Gavin kept smiling, but he didn't say anything else for a few moments. He took the book from Michael and flipped through its pages, skimming over the words again. “No, I think I have something.”

“Lay it on me.”

Gavin didn't say anything until he was nearing the last pages. They waited in silence to hear whatever idea had come to him, and then he said, “ _Audeamus_.” Michael tilted his head, staring at him blankly for a few seconds.

“Gavin, remember how I didn't know what the hell you said before we decided to write this?” He asked slowly. “Well, I still haven't got anything new on that language. You wanna try telling me what that means – just so, you know, I'm not calling the book 'Caleb's Ass' or some shit like that?”

Gavin snorted and went back to the cover. “What does this have to do with Caleb's ass? Nothing against your backside, of course, Caleb. Audeamus... I guess it could translate to 'let us dare' if you want. Something along those lines. It was daring adventure, after all.”

Michael thought about it, tested the word on his tongue a couple times. _Audeamus. Let Us Dare_. Yeah, that had a nice sound, all things considered.

“So, is that it?” Geoff asked, interrupting his thoughts. “Is that the title of your epic adventure to slay a dragon?”

Michael took a few seconds to respond. He imagined people talking to each other about it – _Did you read that Audeamus story, the one about the mercenaries and the winged guy?_ \- and he couldn't help grinning. “Yeah,” he said, glancing up at Gavin, who was also smiling. “Yeah, I think it's good.”

“Fantastic,” Geoff took another drink and then clapped his hands. “Then sit down and we'll get Ryan to put it on there. After that, we've got business to do.”

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Rosegate](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3476918) by [SadAndDeadWinchester (dekusicepack)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dekusicepack/pseuds/SadAndDeadWinchester)




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